Scarlet Pleasures
by Jo. R
Summary: Holly Snow returns with a request that puts Gibbs and Abby at odds with one another. Rating for part 9. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Scarlet Pleasures  
>Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)<br>Rating: FR-15 overall, one FR-18 scene that will be labelled later on.  
>Category: Drama, Case-file, AbbyTony Friendship, Ziva/Abby Friendship  
>Pairing: GibbsAbby  
>Spoilers: 'Forced Entry', 'Guilty Pleasure', up to and including the season seven finale.<br>Summary: Holly Snow makes a request for help that puts Gibbs and Abby at odds.  
>Author's Note: I started this way back when 'Guilty Pleasures' aired for the first time. It sat, abandoned, my computer for quite a while until I figured it was time to dust it off and give it another shot. I'm therefore sorry if anything in this story doesn't fit with the current seasonseems outdated. Hope you enjoy it anyway!

* * *

><p>Prologue<p>

* * *

><p>She'd once said she could never see herself as an escort. She didn't think poorly of those who did it but, personally speaking, it wasn't something she could ever imagine doing herself.<p>

As a woman who regularly attended church, who believed in God, – and even went bowling with Nuns – her religion prevented her from believing such a profession was entirely respectable.

As a woman who believed that relationships were important and that sex was an intimate act between two people who had a connection, she couldn't imagine herself being comfortable being paid to spend an hour or a night with a stranger.

As a woman who'd pushed herself through her academic studies and who worked in an environment that was still pretty much male dominated, she couldn't help but think it was perhaps a backwards step for women to put themselves in a position where they had no control – not that she had a problem with that, exactly, but being paid to so, without the security of being with someone she knew and trusted...

She studied her reflection in the fogged up mirror in the bathroom before adding a layer of shiny gloss to her already richly painted lips, tilting her head to the side to study her carefully applied make-up and loosely styled hair.

Why then, Abby Sciuto wondered, was she preparing to do just that?

* * *

><p>Part One<p>

* * *

><p>Hearing Holly Snow was back in the building made her nervous but Abby wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because her first meeting with the infamous woman hadn't gone the way she'd expected it to or maybe it was because she had a sinking suspicion that there was more than just a case keeping the former DC Madam interested in NCIS.<p>

Abby tried to tell herself it didn't matter if there was. She actually liked the woman even if she didn't agree with her career choice and she wanted, more than anything, for Gibbs to be happy. And if that was with a woman other than herself, then so be it.

She'd long since reconciled herself to the knowledge that Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs would never look at her in the way she'd like him to. There was an array of reasons, all ones that made no sense to her but which other people – Tony, Ducky, Ziva – had quoted to her as probably being what Gibbs thought. She was too young, he was too old. She was too quirky, he was too 'normal'. She was always willing and eager to try new things, he seemed set in his ways.

Tony had once told her, while under the influence of a lot of tequila, that he suspected Gibbs saw her as a daughter-figure. Not quite a replacement for the child he'd lost but someone he could transfer the need to protect and nurture onto. Abby hadn't liked it then after downing a considerable amount of alcohol and she didn't like it now, some years later.

All but Tim McGee knew about her feelings for their boss, though Abby thought she'd maybe managed to convince Ziva David, Tony DiNozzo and Doctor Donald 'Ducky' Mallard that her feelings for him had subsided - or at least weren't such an issue anymore. Not one of them had mentioned the subject to her in recent months – whether that was because they were too distracted by their own lives, Abby wasn't sure. Tony, she remembered, have given her several concerned looks when Margaret Allison Hart had appeared on the scene but her noncommittal reaction must have convinced him she was okay with it.

Maybe she was a better actress that she gave herself credit for, Abby mused. Maybe she was better at putting on a front than any of them realised.

With a sigh, Abby hit print on the report she'd been working on and crossed the room to stand beside the printer churning out the pages. It was only a matter of time, she knew, before someone – most likely McGee or Tony - ventured downstairs to brief her on their newest case. 

* * *

><p>He didn't like feeling ambushed but that was exactly what he suspected was happening. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs stood in front of Director Leon Vance's desk, pointedly ignoring the chair he'd been offered – and the two people sitting in identical chairs next to them.<p>

Director Vance gave him an exasperated look but made no comment on his refusal to sit down. Instead, the Director turned his attention to the man and woman who had accepted his offer of a seat. "Ms. Snow, perhaps you would like to explain the situation...?"

Holly Snow did her best to catch his eye, smiling when she succeeded. Gibbs broke eye contact and looked away before he could see the smile fade. Holly cleared her throat and fixed her gaze instead on the NCIS Director. "A few days ago, I got a phone call from one of my former employees asking for my help. She'd been talked into signing a contract with an organisation called Scarlet Secret and wanted my help in getting out of it."

"Scarlet Secret?" Gibbs frowned as details of a case his team had investigated almost six years ago came back to him. "Isn't that a website?"

"It was a website." Holly gave him a surprised look but Gibbs didn't expand on the subject. "The company was taken over by an old associate of mine and moved from the virtual world into the real one. They operate what they call a hotel but in reality, it's nothing quite so simple. They give contracts to men and women who want a safe place to work and leave it up to them which services they chose to offer their clients. Emily was one of my girls. She took a contract with them a few weeks ago but when she called, she said she wanted out. Several of the girls she knew who'd signed up had tried to get out but just seemed to disappear. She believed they'd been murdered."

There was a beat of silence. "The murder of a prostitute doesn't come under NCIS jurisdiction," Gibbs murmured when it appeared no one else was willing to voice the thought.

"No, but the attempted murder of a naval cleric does." The answer, quiet and sombre, came from the man sitting in the chair on Holly's other side. The Secretary of the Navy, Philip Davenport. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair when Gibbs turned his attention to him, something that struck Gibbs as being odd for a man who was usually always composed. "My nephew found himself visiting the... establishment with some friends of his. He got more than he bargained for."

Gibbs met SecNav's gaze impassively. Director Vance signed and cleared his throat.

"Lieutenant Davenport was found by his friends in an alley behind the hotel. He was taken to Bethesda." Director Vance glanced at SecNav almost sympathetically. "He has yet to regain consciousness."

Another pause. Gibbs glanced from the SecNav's solemn expression to Holly's hopeful one to Director Vance's carefully neutral facade. "What is it you want my team to do?"

"Investigate the attack," Director Vance answered calmly. "Find out who did it and bring them to justice."

"You think they'll let us walk in and ask questions?" Gibbs arched an eyebrow, sensing there was more that he needed to be told. "Last time we dealt with Scarlet Secret, we had to send in an undercover operative. They didn't want to tell us anything."

"Yes, I'm aware of that." Director Vance glanced down at an open folder on his desk, momentarily breaking eye contact. "Ms. Sciuto went undercover."

"She did." Gibbs stilled, his stomach churning unpleasantly. He remembered with startling clarity a line from the report on Vance's desk, a throw-away comment by Abby's supervisor at the company that had been included on a whim because her reaction to it had amused him.

_"If you ever feel like being in front of the camera instead of behind a phone, let me know, Ms. Gibbs."_

He remembered because she'd looked so startled, because his agents hadn't been aware she'd chosen to take his surname for her assignment and their responses to it had made him smile. Now he wished he'd forgotten about it, wished he could go back in time and strike it from the record.

"As I said, the person who took over the Scarlet Secret name is an old associate of mine. Not a friend, exactly," Holly continued when no one else did, her smile slight and depreciating. "More like friendly competition. I got in touch with her when I couldn't get hold of Emily. She asked if I knew any other girls looking for a job as Emily and several others had left without notice."

"And you want to put a member of NCIS in there not knowing exactly what they can expect?" Gibbs was surprised at how calm his voice sounded. "A member of my team?"

"No one will be forced to take the assignment, Agent Gibbs, but I will be asking several female agents including Agent David and Ms. Sciuto if they would be willing to do so." Director Vance's tone left no room for argument.

Still, Gibbs tried. "Abby isn't an agent."

"No, but she's been undercover with these people before. That may prove to be a way through the door." Vance stood slowly. "I'm informing you because I plan to approach your people for this. Your team will be involved in the investigation on some level, whether it's outside, inside or both. This isn't up for debate, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs tensed, concentrating hard to keep his hands from clenching into fists. "If they say no, you won't make it an order."

He turned on his heel and strode out of the office before the Director could agree.

* * *

><p>Her heart was still racing at having been summoned to the Director's office so when she got there to find Gibbs waiting outside, a dark expression on his face, it didn't help to calm her nerves in the slightest.<p>

"You don't have to say yes, Abby," Gibbs told her in a low voice, crossing the room to meet her away from the closed door of the Director's office. "Whatever you decide, I'll back you up."

She wanted to ask what he meant, why she'd been summoned to the Director's office in the first place but the door behind him swung open before she got the change. Director Vance greeted her with a grimace she suspected was an attempt at a smile while at the same time managing to throw Gibbs an undeniably warning glance.

"Ms. Sciuto." The Director stood back from the doorway, leaving the entrance to the room free. "Thank you for joining us."

Abby thought – briefly – about making a quip regarding not really having much of a choice but the looks exchanged between the two men curtailed that instinct. Instead, she smiled nervously and gave him a small nod before preceding them both into the Director's office.

Seeing Holly Snow looking immaculate in a crisp, dark red suit and matching stiletto heels made her feel envious at the same time it made her wince to see the pointed toe of the shoes and imagine how her own feet would suffer in them. She wasn't surprised to see Holly, having already heard the rumours, but seeing the Secretary of the Navy sitting next to her, however, looking both uncomfortable and intrigued at the former DC Madam's presence did make her pause for a split-second.

Abby glanced over her shoulder, intent on throwing Gibbs a questioning look. Director Vance, however, intercepted it and gave her a small nod instead of the reassurance she'd been looking for.

"Please take a seat, Ms. Sciuto."

It may have sounded like a request but Abby wasn't a fool; she'd worked at the Navy Yard long enough to recognise an order when she heard one.

There was one chair free, other than the one behind the Director's desk, and she slid into it gratefully, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder to see if her instincts were right and Gibbs had come to stand behind her.

Ten minutes later, Abby was even more grateful for the chair and the silent support of the man behind her. Still, she wasn't sure which of them was more surprised at the words that came out of her mouth in response to the Director's question.

"Of course I'll help," she found herself saying, conscious of the warm pressure of a hand squeezing her shoulder – either to silence her or encourage her, Abby wasn't sure. "I'll do whatever I can."

* * *

><p>The debriefing of Gibbs team started in the squad room but finished in Abby's lab. While Ziva David was firmly on Abby's side, confident the forensic specialist could not only handle the assignment but was also the right person for the role given her previous experience with Scarlet Secret, her male counterparts sided firmly with their boss: Abby's position was lab-based and she should never have been approached to take on such a potentially dangerous role in the investigation.<p>

"Do you not think she is capable?"Ziva demanded, her dark eyes flashing in defence of the raven-haired woman who'd become one of her best friends. Her glare encompassed her two teammates and the back of Gibbs' head as the foursome bundled into the elevator that would take them to the lower levels. "She has proven that she is able to defend herself, yes? And you cannot deny she is an attractive woman."

Gibbs said nothing, choosing instead to glare at his blurred reflection in the cool steel of the doors ahead of him.

"That's not the point, Ziva," Tony DiNozzo argued. "She's beautiful, yeah, and she can handle herself but she shouldn't have to. She shouldn't have been put in this situation..."

"She volunteered..." Ziva protested with a steely look. "If Abby does not have a problem with it, why should you or anyone else?"

"I don't think she realises what she's volunteered for," Tony muttered darkly. "It's not going be a walk in the park for her, Ziva She's not a former assassin with years of experience behind her. She's a goddamn lab rat who's been talked into doing something she's not going to be comfortable with."

"How do you know that? You are underestimating her, Tony. I know Abby can sometimes act young but you forget that she is a grown woman who knows her own mind..."

"She doesn't agree with what Ms. Snow does. Did," Tim McGee interjected quietly. He sighed and shrugged when both Tony and Ziva looked at him, his concern visible on his face. "Morally, she's against the whole thing. She said so herself. I don't think she knows how far she might have to go to prove to the people behind this that she's really... one of them."

There was a beat of silence. None of them were naive enough to believe the assignment would be easy or entirely innocent, not even McGee, who was still sometimes considered to be a little green by his more experienced teammates.

Both Ziva and Tony along with Gibbs had used sex as a means to reach an end goal over the course of their careers. The thought that Abby might have to do so, Abby who was so vocal and confident about her sexuality but whom also held her privacy in the highest regard didn't sit comfortable with any of them. They were all protective of her, even Ziva, who had the upmost of respect and admiration for Abby's independence and ability to take care of herself.

"If she will have a problem with the role," Ziva asked softly as the bell of the elevator rang to signal their arrival at their chosen level, "why would she agree to do so in the first place?"

"That," Gibbs answered, speaking for the first time as the elevator doors slid open, "is what I'm going to find out."

His strides were long and determined as he left the elevator and walked into the lab, his agents hesitating not more than a split-second before following.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to everyone for their lovely words on the start of this story, and for the various adds. Totally means a lot, and I hope you all keep enjoying it! *hugs*_

Part Two  
>****<p>

Even the steady pounding of the bass on one of her favourite songs didn't seem to help steady her nerves. Abby tapped her foot in time with the beat, her hands braced against her work counter as she waited for her babies to produce some results from the tests she was running.

There wasn't a crime scene to speak of; Holly Snow's contact had disappeared and the SecNav's nephew had been found in an alleyway away from where the attack had taken place, an alley where any evidence that might have been lingering had been washed away by the rain that had fallen that night. The would-be brothel had denied all knowledge of the assault and had politely refused them entry to the building when their lawyers had produced written papers that denied the Metro cops who'd initially pulled the case from entering the premises.

All she had to work on were the clothes Lieutenant Davenport had been wearing and the hope that she'd find something – some tiny trace of DNA everyone else had missed that the rain hadn't destroyed. She wasn't holding her breath, though. She knew she could hope and pray and regret her decision to take the undercover assignment with all of her mite but nothing would chance. It wouldn't magically provide closure to the case and mean she could gracefully back out without feeling like a failure or a fool or both.

She was already questioning herself and her motives for agreeing to it. She could say she'd felt intimidated by the presence of so many of what she considered to be important people. She could say she'd felt moved by Holly's plea to find her former colleague or that she'd sympathised with the plight of SecNav's nephew and had just wanted to help because she was a good person but even that, while partly true, wasn't the full story.

Though the thought of what she might have to do terrified her on one level, the reaction of the man who'd been standing behind her had cemented her decision. Feeling the warmth of his hand, the strength of calloused fingers gripping her shoulder, the softness of the fingertips that had grazed the bare skin of her neck...

Abby squared her shoulders against the shiver that ran up her spine, her hands clenching on the work surface in front of her momentarily. She knew it was hopeless – told herself it was every other minute – but she couldn't stop the thrill that went through her every time she remembered his touch and imagined how it could have been different.

If only...

She wondered sometimes what his reaction to finding out about some of her more intimate thoughts about him would be. Surprised, maybe? Disturbed? He hadn't denied it when she'd said he loved her like a daughter no matter how much she'd wanted him to. Daughters, however, didn't have the kind of thoughts she had about him about their fathers.

Not the emotionally healthy and mentally sound ones, anyway.

She'd given up wondering what was wrong with her, wondering what she could do to make him see her in a different light. Her confidence had taken a knock when he'd flirted openly with Holly Snow, started his strange imitation of a relationship with Margaret Allison Hart... She wanted that back, wanted to go back to being the Abby she had been what felt like a lifetime ago...

And that was why she'd said yes. If Scarlet Secret accepted her, were willing to employ her, it meant someone still thought of her as being attractive, desirable. It meant she wasn't so far removed from the woman she'd once been.

Her reasons, Abby told herself harshly, were stupid and shallow, but she silenced the voice in her head that told her that. Her ego needed a boost and, while McGee and Tony and even Ziva would have been happy to reassure her should she decide to explain how she was feeling, she knew there'd always be a part of her that didn't believe them.

McGee was a sweetheart, and their past romantic relationship meant she'd only be inviting confusion and complications if she approached him about the subject. She loved him but not in the way she knew he deserved and didn't want to initiate any kind of conversation that might make him think she wanted to reignite that particular spark.

Tony would flirt and flatter, his affection for her as real as her adoration for him. There'd been a time when they could have tried a romantic relationship – a time when it would have been successful, Abby suspected, but that time was gone. Years of friendship stood in the way of it now, a friendship unlike any she could remember having before and couldn't risk losing. No, Tony would be sweet and supportive but he'd worry about the cause of her crisis in confidence, would want to try and fix it, and he'd only be frustrated and disappointed with himself when he couldn't.

Ziva would get mad at her - in an exasperated, caring way. The former Mossad Liaison would then demand to know who or what had made her feel inferior and she'd suggest physical violence against whoever or whatever it was. The thought of Ziva's reaction made Abby smile in spite of herself; the woman she'd once been determined not to like had become her closest female friend and, while she still missed the late Kate Todd, she wouldn't change Ziva for anything.

The ding of the elevator signalled the arrival of someone on her level and the beep of one of her machines gave her a pretty good idea of who it could be. While she might feel uncertain and insecure about the nature of her personal relationship with Gibbs, they were professionally as synchronised as they ever had been.

She clicked the button on her mouse, typed a few commands onto the keyboard and studied the results in preparation for the questions she knew were coming.

"You want to tell me what the hell you're thinking, Abby?"

The information on the screen couldn't supply her with an answer to that question and it took Abby a few seconds longer to register the anger in his tone. She glanced over his shoulder at the trio of agents who traipsed in after him but their expressions, ranging from stony to concerned to intrigued, told her they would be of little to no help when it came to dealing with his temper.

"I'm thinking Major Mass Spec found traces of a really expensive massage oil on Lieutenant Davenports clothes and we might be able to connect the brand to a specific girl at Scarlet Secret," Abby said eventually. She looked at him through purposely wide green eyes, an innocent look she'd almost perfected on her face. "I'll try to look around when I'm there, see if I can find someone who uses the same products..." A small noise had her turning away from the computer screen, back to Gibbs with a wide-eyed look that wasn't faked. "Did you just growl at me?"

"Ballistics lab, Abby. Now." Fire flashed in Gibbs' blue eyes, warning her not to disobey. She shrugged and threw a questioning glance towards the others, noting with dismay that they all seemed to find something else to look at, leaving her no other option but the follow the unmistakable order.

Her back straight, her shoulders tense, Abby led the way to the ballistics lab where Gibbs could both berate and interrogate her in private.

* * *

><p>There was a beat of silence following their departure.<p>

"Gibbs is very angry," Ziva commented quietly. "I do not believe I have seen him so... tense."

"He's worried about her," McGee defended their boss, noticing the speculative look exchanged by his teammates. "You know how he gets about Abby."

Tony craned his neck to look in the direction their boss and forensic specialist had one. "He doesn't usually get so riled," he murmured thoughtfully. "Gibbs being calm and angry is scary enough but that..."

"You would prefer him to seethe in silence?" Ziva wondered aloud. "For him to take his anger out on us?"

For a moment, Tony considered her words. Considered the force behind the slaps to the back of the head Gibbs delivered on a normal day, then considered how much they'd hurt if there was any real force behind them. "No, not really. But this... He's angry. Really angry. That's not very Gibbs like..."

"Maybe he knows something we don't," McGee mused. "Maybe he's got reason to be worried about her."

Neither Tony nor Ziva said anything, both straining to hear the impossible through the soundproof doors of the ballistic lab.

* * *

><p>She leaned against the wall opposite the door, trying not to let her nerves show on her face. Abby waited with a fading supply of patience for him to speak, his anger fuelling her own as he ran a hand through his hair but still said nothing.<p>

"If you have a problem with Director Vance's request, I suggest you take it up with him," Abby said eventually, struggling to keep her voice even.

Gibbs treated her to a glare that would have had a lesser woman or one of his agents quailing where they stood. Abby, unaccustomed to having that particular look aimed at her, stood her ground. "It's not your job," he ground out after a long pause. "You should have said no."

"I could have said no," Abby corrected, "but should have? I'm not so sure, Gibbs. If the Director and Ms. Snow are right and my previous experience with Scarlet Secret will get me through the front door, I should use that to my advantage. NCIS should use it."

"No. There'd be other ways, other people..." He broke off and glared at her again. "You're not trained for this. I know Ziva's taught you basic self-defence but..."

"But nothing. I know enough to take care of myself and it's not like I'll be completely on my own. You heard the Director," Abby reminded him with an air of calmness she didn't feel inside. "I'll be linked to a team outside – your team. If there's any trouble, I'll call for backup."

"If there's trouble," Gibbs repeated darkly. "There'll be trouble all over the place, Abby. You do realise what you'll be expected to do. How you'll have to convince them you really want a contract..."

"Sex is a just another tool of the trade, like your badge or gun." Her tone was matter-of-fact. "You've used it professionally before. So have the others. If it comes down to it, so will I. It won't mean anything."

"It always means something to you," he retorted sharply, blue eyes narrowing. "You told me that."

One shoulder rose and fell in a casual shrug even as her blood quickened at him remembering their conversation. "It doesn't have to. Besides, if all goes to plan, I'll supposedly entertain a few agents and be convincing enough without having to see any real clients. If it doesn't, well, I'm a big girl. I know what to do and how to fake it." A humourless smile curved her lips but didn't do anything to disguise the hint of apprehension in her eyes. "Most women do."

Something she couldn't read flickered over his face. "You're not doing this, Abby. You're not a..."

"An agent? Or a whore?" Gibbs flinched but Abby held his gaze. "Which is bothering you the most, Agent Gibbs? The fact I'm not an agent or the thought that I don't have any issues with what I might have to do? You wouldn't have this much of a problem with the situation if it was Ziva going undercover and I know you don't have issues with the whole prostitution thing because you had no problem dating Holly Snow – and yes, I know all about your dinner date with her. You should really know better than to make plans in the bullpen, Gibbs. There's always someone listening." She waved a hand to silence him when it looked like he was about to protest. "So you don't have a problem with using sex to get what you want or with women who get paid to do it so this problem must be me, right? Either you think I'm going to screw this up – no pun intended – or you're taking the overprotective father thing to new levels."

She took a deep breath but continued before he could interrupt. "Two things, Gibbs. One, while I get that you don't find me physically attractive, I can assure you that other men do and some of them might just be attracted enough to get Scarlet Secret interested in me. Two, you are not my father nor am I a child. I don't need your permission or your blessing to do this."

There was a long pause. Almost too long. Abby almost considered apologising but Gibbs broke the silence first, his gaze intense as it locked with hers.

"You think I have a problem believing you can pull this off? That I don't think you're attractive enough?" His expression was closed to her, his voice low and almost entirely without emotion. "Is that why you think I have a problem with this?"

"Well, that, and because you see me like a child and no father wants his daughter to sell herself for money... Unless he's her pimp, but that's all kinds of wrong." She tried to keep the resignation out of her voice but wasn't sure she'd been successful at the look that flittered over his features. "That's it, right? I mean, if it's not because of either of those reasons..."

Gibbs said nothing. He looked at her, leaving her with the impression he was trying to convey something with his eyes, something important he couldn't quite put into words.

Something Abby couldn't understand.

She shook her head and broke eye contact. "I don't know what you want me to say, Gibbs. I agreed to do this and I'm going to. I wish I could do it without you being disappointed in me or whatever it is you are but that's obviously not going to happen."

She didn't wait for him to argue and brushed passed him to the door of the ballistics lab. She found herself hoping he'd reach out for her, stop her from leaving. She even hesitated for a split second to give him more of a chance to do so.

A disappointed sigh she couldn't hold back escaped her but she held her head high and walked out to rejoin the others.


	3. Chapter 3

_You guys are all so very lovely, and I appreciate every single review and comment. *huge hugs* - Jo :) x_

Part Three  
>****<p>

It wasn't hard to get an audience with the managers of Scarlet Secret. As per her instructions from Holly, Abby mentioned during her telephone call that she was a former associate of the former DC madam as well as a former technical advisor with the Scarlet Secret website. She was treated to a burst of classic music as she was put on hold so they could look her record up on their system, gone for a few minutes while they read a file on Abby Gibbs that Abby Sciuto herself would have liked to read.

Whatever notes had been made in her file had worked in her favour and the woman she'd been speaking to came back on the line quickly, bubbling with interested enthusiasm.

Since she'd gone on assignment at Scarlet Secret as pretty much herself with the exception of her surname, she chose to waive the budget NCIS offered her and decided to attend the interview she'd arranged wearing her own clothes to try and make the whole situation a little more easy on herself.

The low slung black jeans hugged her slender hips and a strip of pale skin was on show between the waistband and the deep red, almost black corset top she teamed with them. Her black jacket was form-fitting, an impulse buy she'd made on her last shopping adventure with Ziva. The only exception to her usual outfit were the shoes on her feet – Abby had opted for the strappy heels she usually reserved for court instead of her thick soled boots.

She wore her hair straight and loose, the black tresses partially obscuring her face as she completed the obligatory turn for her two appointed advisors, Holly and Ziva.

"I still think you should wear a suit or a dress," Holly told her with an arched eyebrow, a faint glimmer of disapproval in her eyes. "You look too casual."

"She looks perfect," Ziva argued in Abby's defence. "You look very attractive, Abby."

"I agree she looks attractive but she doesn't give the impression these people are going to be looking for. Believe me, I know what they want to see and a party-girl going to spend a night at a club isn't exactly the look they're searching for in a girl." Holly's frown turned into a friendly smile when Abby looked at her. "You need to look expensive, Abby. I'm sure you know what I mean."

"Sure. You want me to look like an over-priced hooker." Abby shrugged a shoulder. "The tattoos would make it hard for me to pull that off, and even if I could, that's not what they're expecting. They've already met me, remember? If they don't buy I'm looking for a job, fine. I'm sure there are plenty of other women NCIS can entice them with if I don't fit the bill. I'm willing to give it a shot but not if I have to pretend to be someone I'm not. More than I already am," she added as an after-thought. She shrugged away the concerned glance Ziva threw in her direction and headed for the door of the conference room.

She'd barely stepped out of the room when she felt her face heat under the intense scrutiny of the men standing outside of it. The jolt of feminine pride she felt at the appreciation she could clearly see on Tony and McGee's faces disappeared at the noncommittal sweep Gibbs' eyes did of her body but Abby forced herself to ignore it, running a self-conscious hand through her hair as she moved passed them.

"I'll call when I'm done," she promised, not sure exactly which of them she was talking to. "You might want to choose someone else to try. Just in case."

"We won't need anyone else." Tony said it as he caught up with her, a warm hand pressing against the small of her back. Abby tried not to wish he was someone else and tilted her head to smile at him. "You look hot, Abby. You'll do great."

The confidence boost and the escort to the elevators were appreciated. Abby leaned in to brush his cheek with her lips as a gesture of thanks before darting inside the elevator, determined to leave and get the meeting over with before her nerves got the better of her.

She waved as the elevator doors began to close, the sight of her lipstick print on Tony's cheek making her smile even as the expression on Gibbs' face beyond him made her want to cry.

* * *

><p>"Ms. Gibbs? Please take a seat." She fought a wince at the name but accepted the hand the blond woman offered her as the man who sat beside her leaned back and studied her "I'm Lucy Reynard, and this is my partner, Andre Mason. Thank you so much for coming to see us."<p>

"Thank you for inviting me," Abby demurred with a shy smile. Lucy's handshake, she noted, was as firm as the nail extensions she wore were fake. "I know I'm probably not your usual... applicant."

"There is no usual in this business," Lucy informed her with a warm smile and a small laugh as she took the seat opposite Abby's own. "I'm sure you know from experience that not everyone wants or even like the same things."

"Absolutely. Life would be incredibly boring if they did." Abby returned Lucy's smile, trying to ignore the way Andre watched her with an open interest he made no attempt at disguising. "Still, Holly warned me I might not be what you're looking for so I appreciate you taking the time to see me."

"Holly's been out of the game for too long," Lucy murmured with a dismissive wave, lips turning downwards in an expression of distaste. Her dislike of her rival both did and didn't surprise Abby; she suspected there were quite a few women like Lucy who envied Holly's success although it was – as far as she knew – a thing of the past. "She liked her girls to appeal to a certain type of clientele. Here at Scarlet Secret, we know variety really is the spice of life. I'm sure you remember that from your time here with the company...?"

Remembering the blond woman who'd flirted outrageously with a client on the phone and the various profiles she'd looked up throughout and after the investigation, Abby was able to answer honestly. "It opened my eyes to a few things," she admitted with a smile. "When Holly mentioned Scarlet Secret had ventured out and had some contracts available, I thought I'd get in touch. I'm a little unsure as to how the contracts work, though. With Holly, there was never a set venue or a set client."

Lucy's face lit up with obvious pride. "That's where Scarlet Secret is an improved way of life for girls such as yourself. As part of your contract, you get the added benefit of a safe place to work as well as included security should you need it. Basically speaking, you take out a contract with us for a room and we take out a contract with you for your services."

"What services would you expect me to offer, exactly?" Abby tilted her head slightly and fought to keep her expression intrigued and not as apprehensive as she felt.

"The list of services our employees offer is mostly left up to them. We'd expect you to compile a list along with a guide price for each item offered and any extras you'd be willing to add. We like to think of ourselves as a matchmaking service more than anything else. Our girls and boys supply us with lists of what's available and our clients then get to review each list – menus, if you will and can choose a suitable partner for the evening or hour depending on your personal preferences."

"What happens then?" Abby wondered aloud. "How are the appointments actually made?"

"Well, that's down to our receptionists," Lucy explained, the smile still in place. "The receptionist on duty will check availability and book appointments with you. They'll then direct the client to the right room. A deposit is paid prior to the appointment and left at reception, the balance along with any gratuity paid afterwards – again to the receptionist."

It sounded professional, Abby noted. Very organised and, since there was no stated expectation that sex was a service all employees were expected to offer their clients, it almost sounded like it could be legal, too. She was willing to bed there'd be more than one version of the pricelist – the 'menu' – on hand, too; one for genuine clients and one for the authorities and those clients suspected of being undercover cops.

"What kind of fees and rates would we be looking at?" Abby asked in a calm voice that didn't betray the anxiety she felt. "I assume there's a set rate I'd pay you for the use of the room, then a percentage of what I earn would go to you, too...?""

She sounded like she knew what she was talking about and Lucy – and Andre – looked suitably impressed. Abby silently thanked Holly for her advice, and the expose website she'd looked up about the former Madam when their paths had first crossed.

"The rate for the room is standard, no matter how many hours you're actually in residence. Our busiest times are weekday evenings between six pm and one am, and all weekends. We'd expect you to work three of every four weekends as a minimum," Lucy explained with a friendly smile, almost as casually as if they were discussing the weather. "Our rental rates for your suite stand at $300 a month. Now, that might sound steep but it includes the security I mentioned, as well as all electricity, lighting, water and heating costs."

It not only sounded steep but it was also as much as Abby had paid in rent for her first apartment but she kept that thought to herself as Lucy continued.

"As for our administration fee, we'd expect to take between fifteen and twenty percent depending on your rates, of course. All tips and extras, you get to keep yourself."

A small pause filled the room and both Lucy and Andre looked at her – Lucy expectantly and Andre with interest. Her heart pounding in her chest, Abby hesitated for a second before forcing an accepting smile on her face. "If you'll have me, I'd love to join the Scarlet Secret team."

* * *

><p>Housekeeping and fitting out the room with whatever supplies she thought she'd need was Abby's responsibility. She went back to NCIS Headquarters at the Navy Yard with her head spinning' the contracts had been signed and exchanged, a copy of which she clasped in her hands as the cab driver drove her to her destination. Lucy and Andre expected her list of services offered by no later than that evening, ready for her to start work the following evening at six pm prompt.<p>

"It's very carefully worded," Agent Lewis Green said of the contract she'd signed as the legal department's representative assigned to the case. "Nowhere does it actually say anything illegal will be taking place on the premises."

"Lucy did two years of law school before dropping out," Holly explained from where she sat beside Abby at the conference room table, in the midst of suggesting how to word the list of services she was supposed to offer that wouldn't get her into too much trouble. "I guess some of what she learnt stuck even after she quit."

"Why did she give it up?" Ziva asked from Abby's other side, lending her silent support to the somewhat shell-shocked forensic specialist. "It would have been a respectable profession."

"Lawyers? Respectable?" Holly smiled, baring her teeth. "That would be where we differ in opinion."

"Lawyers and prostitutes both get paid to screw people," Abby interrupted with a shrug. "Whether either's respectable is a matter of opinion. No offence, Lewis." The legal expert shot her a grin that suggested he'd taken none. Abby arched an eyebrow when she noticed Ziva try and fail to keep from smirking. "What?"

Letting the smile spread across her lips, Ziva glanced over to the other side of the room where Gibbs, Tony and McGee were going over the blueprints for the Scarlet Secret building. "You sound like Gibbs," Ziva commented quietly. "Perhaps he is rubbing off on you, no?"

Abby held her tongue and almost succeeded in keeping her eyes from seeking out the man in question. He looked up at that moment, catching her gaze with his and holding it in a heated exchange Abby wished she understood.

An exchange that didn't go unnoticed.

"How are you at massage?" Holly asked in the momentary silence that ensued, drawing Abby's attention away from the man on the other side of the room. "A lot of clients won't actually want sex, you know. They'll want company and conversation, someone to listen to their woes and say they understand."

"I took a short course in massage a few years ago," Abby answered with a shrug, her face heating when she felt more than one pair of eyes settle on her at the admission. "I could probably remember enough to fill in an hour or so."

"Perfect." Holly gave her an approving smile. "That'll help pad out your list and make it look like you offer the full range..."

Her stomach churning, Abby let herself be swept away by the planning, telling herself there was only a small chance she'd be asked to meet with someone outside of the team of agents Gibbs and his team were handpicking for the assignment.

A small chance was like no chance at all... wasn't it?


	4. Chapter 4

Part Four  
>****<p>

Her room at the 'establishment', as Lucy insisted it be called had a small en suite bathroom complete with shower and toilet facilities. Abby wondered if she'd be able to lock herself in the bathroom for a few hours if someone she wasn't expecting showed up at her door and eyed the lock suspiciously.

She arrived early, weighted down with supplies Holly had insisted she need: clothes, make-up, toiletries and bottled water alongside several 'trade' items to make her look the part. She busied herself for the first hour arranging her room, making the bed with the sheets she'd brought with her, setting out candles, arranging the bottles and jars of massage oils and lotions bought by a gleeful Holly on the allowance the NCIS Director had reluctantly arranged for her.

The brand of the oils, Abby noted, was the same expensive one shed found traces of on the Lieutenant's clothes and she wondered, briefly, if it was a favoured brand of a certain kind of woman.

There'd been no opportunity to have a look around and, although Lucy had promised to introduce her to some of Scarlet Secret's other employees, Abby wasn't sure she felt ready to meet the others though she knew she'd have to at some point. It was, after all, the reason she was there.

The three people Lucy had introduced her to were the two burly security guards who wouldn't have seemed out of place on the door of her favourite club and the receptionist who was on duty that night. The security guards had seemed friendly enough but the receptionist, a pretty blond, didn't look like she belonged there any more than Abby herself felt. The woman had been polite, warm even, but there'd been a haunted look in her eyes Abby didn't like.

After arranging her suite to look more like the picture of a boudoir Holly had painted in her mind – classy but not cheap, luxurious but not gaudy – Abby had time to show and change for her first appointment, all the while hoping to see a familiar face when she answered the inevitable knock at the door.

She stared at her reflection in the fogged up mirror, wondering if it would be the last time she'd be able to look herself in the eye. She ran her fingers through her loosely curled hair and added another coat of gloss to her already shiny lips.

Leaving the relative safety of the bathroom was one of the hardest things she'd had to do, she decided, padding through to the main room on bare feet. The high heels, red to match both the dress and shade of lipstick she wore, waited for her by the door. Her toes curled and her feet ached at the mere sight of them.

Her cell phone, her only contact with the NCIS agents outside of the building since they weren't sure if the one supplied in the room was a secure line, beeped twice.

Her heart pounded as she crossed over to it, opening the text she'd received with trembling hands.

'Tony on his way,' the message from Ziva read. 'Be good x.'

* * *

><p>Relief swamped him when he heard Tony confirm with the pretty blond at reception which of the girls he wanted to see. Gibbs listened through the mic attached to Tony's shirt collar as his agent was given directions to Abby's room, wishing they could've found a way to install eyes and ears in Abby's room without risk of detection so he could check on how she was doing. That was the eventual plan, though the legal team were still dragging their feet on whether or not it was something they could do and whether any evidence gathered in such a way would be admissible in court.<p>

Until then, Abby was on her own in the building and Gibbs hated it. He hated the thought of her being defenceless and vulnerable, hated not being able to see for himself that she was alright.

Gibbs told himself he'd feel the same way if it was anyone else on the assignment but he knew that wasn't true. While he'd be concerned for Ziva, a seasoned agent, he wouldn't have the same worries for her as he did for his forensic specialist.

He couldn't understand Abby's motives for agreeing to the assignment, and he couldn't understand why the normally intuitive woman couldn't see why he was so against it without him spelling it out for her.

She still – wrongly – believed that he loved her like a daughter, he realised with a sigh. He'd thought that, when he hadn't verbally agreed with her assessment, her mind would make the next progressive leap and she'd realise that no, he didn't love her like a daughter. Far, far from it, in fact.

Then again, he argued internally, he hadn't denied it either. So maybe she was justified in still believing that his feelings for her were platonic but surely she could see how much her taking the assignment bothered him? Surely she could put the pieces together and realise...

"Don't look so worried, Jethro," Holly murmured soothingly, moving to stand beside him at the monitors that each of the buildings exits in the surveillance van that was their on-site control centre. "I'm sure Tony and Abby will be able to put on a convincing show."

He felt his shoulders tense and found himself clenching his fists before he even realised he was doing it. "I'm sure."

Holly waited a beat, her gaze intent on his face. "Or maybe that's what you're worried about. Maybe you think they'll be too convincing."

"DiNozzo's a good agent. He'll do what he needs to keep her safe." Gibbs forced his fingers to unclench.

"And that's what's bothering you," Holly guessed. "That he'll go as far as he has to – that they both will. You just can't stand the thought of him touching her like that, can you?" She smiled in triumph when he didn't deny it and simply glared at the screens in front of him. "So this is what you look like when you're jealous. And to think I thought you were bothered when you thought I was seeing someone else." She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "How long have you had feelings for her, Jethro? Are you ever going to tell the poor girl and put her out of her misery?"

Gibbs turned his head from the monitors to look at her but didn't respond to her accusations. He was glad his agents were on a coffee run, certain Holly would have no qualms about voicing her revelations in front of them. She didn't mince her words and didn't keep her astute observations to herself, two traits he found appealing in her – most of the time.

Through the speakers, Tony's voice seemed to echo around the van as he kept up an almost running commentary on his way up to room 361. To anyone else watching, he'd look like a nervous first-timer trying not to let himself be talked out of what he planned to do. He kept speaking until his footsteps slowed to a halt and the sound of knocking took over.

There was a small pause, then the sound of a door being opened followed by Abby's voice, a little too muffled for Gibbs' liking but undeniably hers. No one else would have heard the relief in her tone, no one else would have detected the slight tremor as she greeted her client.

No one else but Gibbs.

* * *

><p>He'd booked a two-hour massage with optional extras. One hour and twenty minutes into it, Abby telephoned reception to confirm her client wished to extend his appointment by another hour. Tony, for his part, moaned loudly as she spoke to the woman called Tina and cleared it with her, grinning at the glare Abby threw him.<p>

"That was uncalled for," Abby chastised him quietly, casting a wary glance at the discard shirt on the bed at her knees. It was bad enough knowing Gibbs and his team were listening to every word they were saying without Tony making it worse by over-acting. "I wasn't even touching you."

"Maybe it was a delayed reaction." Tony smirked at the blush colouring her cheeks and propped himself up on an elbow to look at her. "You really are good at this."

She rolled her eyes at the insinuation as he waggled his eyebrows at her before motioning for him to turn back over so he was lying on his front. She knew they had to be careful what they said in case someone other than the NCIS team were listening in and Tony helped by making it seem almost like a game but it still unnerved her that there was anyone listening at all.

Pouring more of the oil into her hands, Abby rubbed her palms together to warm the liquid before turning her attention to his bare back, kneading the muscles she felt under her fingertips, smiling in spite of herself when he muffled his groan of approval into the pillow.

Six years ago when Kate had talked her into joining a ten week class in the art of therapeutic massage, Abby hadn't known what she'd do with the experience she'd walked away with. Never had she imagined she'd be putting it to use in a building that was for all intents and purposes a brothel.

"You're tense," she told him conversationally, leaning on him with most of her weight until a particularly stubborn muscle gave in and relaxed. "Stressful job?"

"Oh, yeah." Tony sighed in obvious pleasure. "My boss is a real slave driver."

She bit her lip to keep back a chuckle, her skin flushing involuntarily at the reminder of who was listening to Tony's sighs and moans. "You should tell him to go easier on you," she replied with a lightness she didn't feel.

Tony snorted and turned his head, looking up at her out of the corner of his eye. "Somehow I don't think that would go down too well." He arched an eyebrow when he noticed her glance down at the shirt on the bed next to them once more. "He's a little tense himself. Maybe I should recommend he comes here and spends an hour or two with you."

She threw him a warning look and pressed down a little harder than necessary on his back, his yelp drawing a faintly satisfied look from her. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did that hurt?"

"A little," Tony muttered, burying his head in the pillows again. "Maybe we should talk about something else."

"Maybe we should," Abby agreed sweetly. She resumed her ministrations with firm but gentle strokes, letting her mind drift as he started to relax again.

She'd have to get some music, she decided, some kind of background noise to fill in the silence. She wouldn't be able to play her favourite bands but something softer, maybe some jazz music, would be a welcome addition to the room and help set her a little more at ease. She hated silence when it wasn't necessary, had done from a very young age.

"...doing this long?" Tony's question only just registered in her mind and she glanced down at him to find his face turned towards her again, an eyebrow arched in concern.

"Off and on since I started college," the lie came easily, the cover story she'd memorised almost seeming like the truth.

Tony moved to lie on his side, watching her. "You ever wish you hadn't started down this path?"

"All the time," that, Abby thought, was an honest answer. She shrugged at the concerned expression on his face, knowing he understood she was talking about the case and her assignment rather than her so-called career. "But I did, and I'm here now."

"You could always change your mind," he suggested quietly.

"That's not an option," she replied instantly, shaking her head at the look on his face. "Not yet, anyway."

Hearing the determination in her voice, Tony nodded and let the subject drop. He motioned for her to lie down beside him, his discarded shirt on the bed between them. Abby curled up beside him, a picture of vulnerability instead of the sex kitten image she was supposed to be projecting as per Holly Snow's instructions.

They talked quietly for the remainder of their time, focusing on light subjects that would cause neither of them any further embarrassment in front of the people listening in. At the end of his booking, he kissed her cheek and thanked her loudly as he stood in the corridor for being such a good listener, promising he'd make another appointment soon.

Alone for almost half an hour, Abby tidied her room and remade the bed, jumping when there was another knock at the door. Her heart pounding in her chest, she walked towards it, pulling the door open cautiously before a smile of greeting broke out across her face.

Agent Lewis Green walked in with a wink, waiting till she'd closed the door behind him before pulling a pack of cards out of his pocket. "Wanna play?"


	5. Chapter 5

Part Five

* * *

><p>Abby's laugh filled the van even as the door opened and Tony slipped in. Gibbs glanced at him, an eyebrow lifting at the feminine scent that accompanied his senior agent.<p>

"Didn't have time for a shower." Tony replied to the silent question with a shrug. "One of our guys with her now?"

"Agent Green," Holly answered when Gibbs remained silent. She smiled when another laugh could be heard over the speakers. "He appears to be amusing her."

"They are playing poker," Ziva informed the group, shrugging when her teammates looked at her in surprise. "It came up in conversation that Abby was good at bluffing. Lewis believes he could beat her and took a pack of cards with him for his appointment."

At her words, some of the tension seemed to ease from the room, notably from Gibbs' shoulders. He looked to his senior agent again. "You get anything from being inside?"

"Only that Abby's a lot more nervous than we thought she was, but I guess you guys probably heard that, too." Tony unfastened the mic from behind the button of his shirt. "They run a tight ship. The security isn't in your face but you don't forget it's there. Surveillance cameras along every hallway and in the elevator, too."

"You notice anything suspicious in Abby's room?"

"Nope. If there are cameras there, they're very well concealed." Tony shrugged off his jacket and hung it over the back of one of the chairs. "I think there might a weak link in their armour, though. The receptionist, Tina, looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Maybe she's just having an off night but I think she's the one Abby should try talking to first. If nothing else, she could confirm if Lieutenant Davenport had an appointment the night he was attacked and maybe let Abby know who it was he saw."

"Abby has a way of getting people to talk," McGee agreed quietly from his place next to the equipment in the van. He was working on the equipment he'd be taking with him to see Abby in a few hours, equipment that would help detect any surveillance devices in Abby's rooms. "She's good at listening."

A low murmur and a masculine chuckle came through the speakers. Gibbs, Tony noticed, squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw in response.

"Have we got a rota sorted for the next couple of nights?" Tony asked after a moment's silence. "If Ziva could show Abby a copy of it tomorrow, it might make her feel a little more settled knowing there's always gonna be someone she knows on the other side of the door."

"Take care of it," Gibbs ordered with a small nod. "Ziva has a list of NCIS personnel enlisted for the duration of the investigation."

Catching Ziva's gaze, Tony shot her a questioning look in reply to the frown marring her brow and moved to sit beside her, glancing down at the list of names she'd compiled and the times and dates hastily scribbled next to them in pencil.

One name was notably missing, Tony realised. One name that would have stood out from the rest.

* * *

><p>Tony would be a regular, Abby noted as she looked at the list Ziva brought down to her lab, and he'd start spending full nights with her. So would Lewis, which she saw as a good thing since she had a score to settle with the legal agent who'd managed to beat her three games to two during their impromptu poker tournament. McGee would visit her once over the weekend, no doubt to do another check and make sure her room was still free of surveillance equipment and even Jimmy Palmer had somehow made it onto the list, which explained why he'd gone bright red when she'd said hello to him in the elevator that morning.<p>

Several other familiar names jumped out at her as being agents she knew but the one she'd been both dreading and hoping to see was absent.

"He will be busy leading the investigation into Lieutenant Davenport's attack," Ziva said by way of explanation when Abby glanced up. "And following up any leads you uncover regarding the disappearance of Ms. Snow's associate."

"Of course he will." Abby set the timetable down on the desk beside her keyboard and stifled a yawn. "It's been a long night," she murmured when Ziva looked at her in concern. "Maybe I should've taken the Director up on his offer of having the morning off."

"Maybe you should." Ziva arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps you could sleep in your office for a few hours? There is little else to do for the time being."

Little else to do until she had to get herself ready for her next shift, Abby thought with a sigh she only just managed to swallow. Her first night at Scarlet Secret hadn't been too bad; the men who'd taken it in turn to visit her had put her at ease, distracting her from her surroundings during their time in her room. Still, the weight of where she was and the act she was performing made her feel slightly nauseous and Abby found herself wishing the nightmare assignment was already over.

"Get some sleep, Abby." She set her hand companionably on Abby's shoulder for a moment. "I will tell the others so you are not disturbed."

"Thank you, Ziva." Managing a tired smile, Abby watched the dark haired woman go. She picked up the timetable again, glancing down at the list of names as she wandered into her office and pulled out her futon from its hiding place under her desk. Grabbing Bert the hippo with her other hand, Abby curled up on the soft surface and closed her eyes, promising herself she'd just lie down for a little bit, not holding out much hope that she'd actually be able to sleep.

Less than ten minutes later, her breathing grew deep and even, her featured relaxing in slumber. The stuffed hippo was held against her chest while the hand holding the list dangled off the edge of the futon, the paper crumpled in her grasp.

* * *

><p>Three nights into the assignment and Abby had not only settled into a routine but had managed to befriend the woman the team suspected was the organisations 'weak link'.<p>

Tina Landry, receptionist on the graveyard shift, was a quiet woman, efficient at her job even if she sometimes looked as though she'd rather be anywhere else. She was as pretty as any of the girls Abby had seen working from rooms of their own but there were shadows in her eyes that made Abby wonder if that had always been the case.

On her third night, Abby purposely asked for an hour to be kept empty of appointments. Despite it being close to three am in the morning when she left her room, the Scarlet Secret empire was still thriving with business. She was surprised that she had to pass a confident man strolling to the room across the hall from hers on her way downstairs to the lobby and found she had to force a friendly smile for both his benefit and that of the security cameras when he decided to stop and blatantly check her out.

The elevator couldn't arrive at her floor quick enough and, when it did, it was with a sigh of relief that she stepped into the empty metal box and pushed the button for the ground floor.

Tina was busy giving a client directions to one of the other rooms when Abby arrived so she busied herself by fixing a strong coffee for herself from the complimentary area on offer in one corner of the lobby and a sweet tea for Tina.

"Milk and two sugars," Abby told her once the client was gone, handing over one of the two mugs. "I noticed how you made it when I came in," she added with a shrug at Tina's surprised look "Don't ask me how I remember things like that; it's just something I do."

"Thanks." Tina took the offered mug with a tired smile. "I guess that's why you're popular with your regulars, because you remember the little details."

Forcing another smile, Abby shrugged and sipped her coffee, hoping it would dispel the sudden nausea she felt at the deception. "Probably helps," she said weakly.

The two women lapsed into silence for a few moments, both savouring their drinks and the temporary peace and quiet. Abby tried not to think about what was happening in other parts of the building, what sights and sounds were being hidden behind sound-proofed walls.

"How did you get into this?" Abby asked after a while, more to distract herself from the images in her mind than to dig for information. "Working here, I mean. It's not your usual nine-to-five."

"An ex got me into it," Tina answered after a short pause. She sipped her tea and gave Abby a contemplative look. "Andre. You probably met him at your interview."

"Andre's your ex?" Abby's surprise was genuine. "You and he...?"

Tina gave her a small, humourless smile at her reaction. "He wasn't always such a creep. At least, I didn't think he was," she corrected herself quietly, glancing over her shoulder at the security camera watching their every move. "He was a really nice guy. Sweet, considerate. We have a son together, Luke. Andre might've got me into this but it's for Luke that I'm still here."

Leaning on the counter, Abby studied her seriously. "You don't like it here," she stated softly.

"Is it that obvious?" Tina shrugged and stared into her tea. "It's good money, though. Better than I could get anywhere else. And working the late shift means I can spend time with Luke during the day when he's awake and work at night while he's sleeping at my sister's."

"Andre doesn't look after him?" Abby took the expression on Tina's face as a 'no'. "So when he and Lucy started this up, they asked you to be receptionist?"

Tina looked away, a dark look passing over her features. "I wasn't always the receptionist," she admitted quietly. "Andre convinced me I'd make more money if I... Well, if I did what you do. I mean, I'm okay with other people doing it if it's what they want, don't get me wrong," she added quickly with a slightly apologetic glance. "If you're happy doing... what you do, then why shouldn't you? It just was never something I really wanted..."

"But the father of your child made you do it anyway?" Abby finished with a frown. "Were you still together...?"

"We were together until I asked to stop, until Lucy gave me this position and she and Andre..." Tina shrugged. "I think they'd been seeing each other for a while but when I refused to do what he wanted and make him money, he had the excuse he needed to leave. I guess I'm lucky he didn't fire me, too. I don't know where Luke and I would've been..." She let her voice trail off and shook her head. "Enough about me. I'm sure you didn't want to know my life story."

"I'm the one who asked," Abby pointed out. She looked down into her coffee cup, conscious of the time ticking away. It didn't help knowing that the next person to walk through the door and ask to see her would be someone she knew. "I was thinking of getting out of this kind of thing. Can't say I really enjoy it but, like you say, the money's good."

Tina gave her a surprised glance. "I thought you enjoyed it. You're certainly popular..."

"It's a bit like acting, though, isn't it? Putting on a front, giving the customer what they want?" Abby gave her a one-shouldered shrug. "It's not what I dreamt of doing. As soon as I find something else to do, I'll be happily leaving this behind me."

Instead of the support Abby had been expecting, Tina looked horrified at the thought. She dated another look at the security cameras and dropped her voice to a hushed whisper even though they weren't designed to pick up sound. "They won't let you leave, Abby, you're too popular with your clients."

"My contract says I can give a fortnight's notice," Abby replied quietly. "They can't object to that."

"They can't object," Tina whispered, "but they can make you regret it." She bit her lip anxiously but said no more.

The door opened and Tony walked in, signalling the end of Abby's break and the end of the conversation.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you all so very much for the reviews and support on this story. I promise, there will be some Gabby coming up... Soon... I promise! C'mon, it's me. I'm a sucker for a Gabby happy ending ;)_  
><em>*hugs*<em>

Part Six

* * *

><p>Tony held her by the shoulders, waiting for her to calm down and slow the almost constant stream of words that had started the moment the door had closed behind them.<p>

"And she's Andre's ex, too, that's how she got the job here. Well, she was like me at first. Not like me in that she pretended but Andre had her sleep with guys for money even though they have a little boy together and when she said she wouldn't do it anymore, he started seeing Lucy but she thinks they were seeing each other before that, too." She paused for a split-second to catch her breath. "Maybe the only reason they didn't kill her like we think they did Emily is because she has a son with Andre and that would mean he'd have to look after him?"

"Okay, Abs, that's enough. Breathe," Tony instructed when she paused again. "First, we've got no evidence they killed Emily. For all we know, she got out and left town to let things cool off for a bit." He moved a finger over her lips when she looked like she was about to start talking again. "Second, even if Andre and Lucy do have a problem with their employees leaving, they're not gonna be able to do anything to you when that happens. Chances are we'll have cracked the case and neither of 'em will be in much of a position to do anything about it then."

"What if we don't crack the case?" Abby interrupted before he could list his third point. "What if the Director pulls us out and they get nasty or we find out they're not responsible for either Emily's disappearance or the attack on SecNav's nephew? What if they find out I'm not a prostitute and I work for NCIS and..."

"Shh." Drawing her against him, Tony held her tightly, rocking her slightly in an attempt at soothing her. "We won't let that happen, Abb. None of us will. And if they try," he continued, speaking over her when she started to protest. "You really think Gibbs'll just stand back and let them hurt you? You think he, or any of us for that matter, won't move heaven and earth to keep you safe?"

After a few more moments, Abby started to relax, most of the tension leaving her body. She held onto him for a few moments more before taking a step back. Her smile was weak but she made the effort at reassuring she was okay. "So what are the plans for tonight? You're here for, what, another hour?"

He grinned at her, letting the serious moment slide, and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his phone. "Downloaded a new game and I'm stuck on a level. You want to help?"

She took it from his hand before answering, her smile fading into an expression of utter concentration as she quickly located the new application on the phone. "I'll more than help; I bet I beat your high scores, too."

He waited until she was lying comfortably on the bed, fully focused on the game, before stretching out beside her, watching her carefully, promising himself he would make sure she would complete her assignment in one piece.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Tony had a horrible feeling he wouldn't be able to keep the promise he'd made to himself. He paced the surveillance van as McGee tapped furiously at his keyboard while<br>simultaneously speaking through his headset to the agent who was supposed to be Abby's next appointment.

"Yeah, there's an accident up ahead. Road's closed while they clear the road. You could take the diversion but it looks like there'll be a half-hour delay..." McGee looked up as Gibbs re-entered the van after leaving for a coffee run. "Boss, we've got a problem."

"Spill it, McGee," Gibbs ordered brusquely, a flash of concern on his face before he could get it under control.

"Agent Green's not going to make his appointment with Abby. He's already five minutes late, and it's gonna take at least thirty more before he can get here," McGee explained in a rush."We're gonna have to send someone else in soon or..."

Or Abby would be faced with the prospect of a real client, who would expect more from her than she wanted to give.

"DiNozzo, give me the cash in your wallet. McGee, David, you, too."

Knowing Tony and McGee had already spent time with her that evening and sending them back in could cause the owners to get suspicious, Gibbs waited only long enough to take the notes they offered him and turned swiftly towards the door. Lewis Green was supposed to cover the rest of the night, he knew, a three-hour appointment that would take Abby to the end of her shift.

"You're going in, boss? You're not... You're not wired..." McGee called out after him.

"Don't think he really cares about that, McGeek," Tony responded, watching the door to the van swing shut behind him. "Call Green, tell him not to bother coming out here. Boss's got this one covered."

Relief eased the knot in his stomach but Tony found he couldn't fully relax, not until he knew for certain Gibbs had made it in time to claim the vacant timeslot.

* * *

><p>Tina hated it when he stood behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body against her back, the soft warmth of his breath against the skin of her neck. She fought the urge to shudder when Andre put his hand on her shoulder and wondered, not for the first time, how she could ever have loved him, how she could have had his child.<p>

She loved her son, deeply and without hesitation, but if there was a way she could have changed who his father was, a way to get Andre out of both of their lives for good, she knew she'd take it in a heartbeat.

When Andre leaned down, she found herself holding her breath. Her hand stilled over the keyboard where she'd been processing the timesheets of those in employment by Scarlet Secrets and she waited, her anxiety levels shooting skywards as he hesitated.

"Abigail Gibbs," Andre said eventually, his breath hot against her ear. "Her appointment hasn't shown up?"

As much as she wanted to lie to him, Tina knew she couldn't risk it. She shook her head, her eyes sliding shut. "He's almost ten minutes late."

"Then he forfeits his time with her." Smug satisfaction dripped from his voice. "Put her on a the logs as being on a break."

Tina nodded slowly, her stomach rolling uncomfortably as she knew what it meant. "Should I call her...?"

"No, no." Andre's smile oozed a vicious charm she'd been on the receiving end of too many times to count. "I'll tell her personally. Just make sure we're not disturbed."

Tina hung her head, a sigh escaping her as he walked towards the elevators.

* * *

><p>The smile on her face faded the moment she swung open the door to her room and found Andre standing there instead of Lewis as she'd been expecting. Abby recovered quickly, forcing a smile, but continued to block the entrance into her room.<p>

"Andre. I'm expecting a client," she started, her voice faltering at the look on his face.

"He's late, so his appointment has been cancelled." Andre motioned for her to move out of the way. "I have some business to discuss with you, Abby. I'd rather not discuss it out here where anyone could overhear."

Although she would have liked to close the door in his face and call for help from the NCIS agents nearby, Abby knew that to do so would only jeopardise her life as well as the case. With a reluctance she was sure he could see, she took a step back to permit him entrance.

Andre closed the door behind himself, the click of the lock causing her to swallow hard. "That's better," he told her, baring his teeth in a sly grin. "Now we know we won't be disturbed."

Abby took a step back as he advanced towards her. "You said you had something you wanted to discuss...?"

He shrugged and took another step closer. "Talking is overrated," he said quietly, his eyes taking on a gleam that turned her stomach. "You're a popular woman, Abby. Your regulars adore you. It's my job, my duty, to make sure they're getting a high quality service, value for money... Maybe I can even give you a few pointers here and there..."

"I appreciate the offer but..." Abby gasped as her back hit the wall, her eyes growing wider as he continued forward. "Really, Andre..."

"C'mon, Abby. You can't be shy." He smirked, obviously finding the thought to be an amusing one, and braced his hands on the wall either side of her. "You're a whore," he continued conversationally, "it's what you get paid for."

One of his hands moved from the wall to her hip, fingers slipping over the soft material of the wrap-around black dress she'd chosen for the night, towards the fastenings keeping it closed. Abby froze under his touch, squeezing her eyes shut. She could lift her knee, fight him off... but then she'd be proving Gibbs – and, she suspected, Holly – right, she told herself firmly. She'd be showing them she couldn't cope with what was asked of her, screwing up the assignment and the investigation so far... Ziva, she told herself, would do what she had to in order to get the case closed. She would...

The phone rang loudly, insistent and, to Andre, annoying. He drew his mouth away from the skin of her neck to matter a curse. He turned his head to glare at the offending telephone and tried to ignore it, returning his attention to the fastening of her dress only to break away in frustration when it continued to ring.

He stalked across the room, snatching up the receiver with a vicious "what?"

Abby watched his expression shift from angry to frustrated to resigned.

"Send him up," Andre said eventually, a sigh escaping him as he hung up. He looked at Abby, a speculative expression on his face. "Seems you are the popular one. A new client has offered triple the usual rate to finish your shift with you." He straightened and crossed the room towards her, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. "One day, Abigail," he promised in a murmur, "you'll show me just what it is you do that keeps them coming back for more."

He moved away when there was a sharp knock at the door, turning the lock and opening it with a polite smile on his face. "Mr...?"

"Sciuto," a familiar voice replied, making her heart race in both relief and something she did her best not to let show on her face. "It's Mr. Sciuto."


	7. Chapter 7

Part Seven

* * *

><p>The receptionist had flinched under the glare he gave her when she'd tried explaining that Abby was unavailable. Gibbs felt only a little remorse, resisting the urge to snap at her when she started to offer alternative suggestions.<p>

"Maria's free," Tina told him nervously. "Or Simone. They're both popular..."

Gibbs shook his head and did his best to fix a charming grin on his face, with just an ounce of danger. "It's Abby I've been told about, Abby I want to see. I understood from my associate that he'd be forfeiting his appointment with her, that she'd be available?" As Tina started to stammer an excuse, Gibbs leaned a little more over the desk. "I'll pay double," he offered quietly, his blue eyes locking with hers. "Triple, if necessary."

Tina's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Triple...? But that would be...?"

"A lot of money," Gibbs replied, pulling out his wallet. "I can pay cash for your percentage, up front, and pay her the rest personally."

"I..." Her eyes still wide at the thought of so much money, so easily given, Tina fumbled for the telephone on her desk. "I'll need to check with the manager. Just a moment." She dialled what Gibbs suspected was an internal number and waited for what felt to him like an age before someone answered. "I'm sorry, Andre, I know you said you weren't to be disturbed but I've got a gentleman in reception who wants to see Abby. He said he'll pay triple the normal rates and can pay our percentage in cash up front for the three hour appointment... Yes, okay." She hung up and gave him a curious but no less polite smile. "Let me sort that out for you, then you can go straight up."

Gibbs handed over the cash in his wallet, making a mental note to repay his team, and signed the necessary documentation before starting towards the elevators with long, determined strides.

"She's in room 361," Tina called out after him. "Take the elevator to the third floor, then..." Her voice faded as the elevator doors closed behind him.

He took a moment to compose himself, his hand clenching and unclenching reflexively as he waited impatiently for the elevator to reach the third floor. As soon as the doors started to open, he moved forward, his steps confident as he scanned the room numbers on his way along the hallway.

He found her room easily and knocked a little sharper than he'd intended, waiting impatiently for the door to open. As he'd expected – as he'd feared – it wasn't Abby who answered the door but the man he recognised as being Andre.

The other man had a polite smile on his face but Gibbs didn't miss the flash of irritation in his eyes and wondered what he'd interrupted. Andre held out his hand. "Mr...?"

"Sciuto," Gibbs answered smoothly, her name the first that came to mind after remembering that he couldn't use his own. He looked at the hand offered to him but didn't take it. "It's Mr. Sciuto."

Andre inclined his head and let his hand drop. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Enjoy your evening."

Gibbs stepped aside so the man could pass, then walked into the room and closed the door, locking it, behind him. He turned to face Abby and within moments found his arms were full. He tightened his arms around her, indulging himself for an all-too brief moment as he let his head rest against hers and inhaled deeply, satisfying himself she was safe.

After several moments, Abby pulled away, her smile soft and grateful. "Thank you," she murmured, looking up at him almost shyly. "I take it Lewis couldn't make it? His kids are okay, aren't they?"

"They're fine, as far as I know." Which, Gibbs admitted to himself, wasn't much as he hadn't realised the younger agent had children. "He got caught in traffic. There's been an accident on the Beltway."

"Oh." There was a moment of silence as Abby reigned in her disappointment as the hope that he'd just wanted to see her, to check on her himself, fell flat. "Well, welcome to my suite at Scarlet Secret. It's not really anything like home but it's comfortable."

"What was Andre doing in here?" Gibbs couldn't stop himself from asking, though slapped himself mentally for the almost accusing way it sounded.

Taken aback for a moment, Abby busied herself by tightening the side ties of her dress. "He wanted to know why I was so popular with my clients," she said eventually.

"He wanted a demonstration," Gibbs deduced from her awkward stance and the way she couldn't or wouldn't meet his gaze. "Damn it, Abby."

"What?" Her head shot up at the unbridled anger in his voice, a defensive note creeping into her own as she wrapped her arms around her middle. "It's not like I had much of a choice in it, Gibbs. If I piss him off, I'm dead, or as a good as."

"You mean you...?" He looked her over quickly, anxiety mixed momentarily with his anger, both eclipsed for a moment by relief at the denial on her face. "You need to get out of here, out of this. We'll find another way, maybe start over with someone else..."

"No!" The hurt and anger in her voice stopped him as he started to turn away. "I can do this, Gibbs. I know what I signed up for. If that means I have to have sex with him to stop him from suspecting I'm not who I'm pretending to be, I will. I won't lie and say I won't hate every second of it but I'll see it through."

"Like hell you will," Gibbs seethed. "He's not laying one finger on you, Abby, and if you think for one minute I'd let you do that..."

"*Let me*?" Abby repeated incredulously. "You won't *let me*? You've got no say in it, Gibbs. I'll sleep with who I want, when I want..."

"But you don't want to, Abby, that's the whole damn point!" Exasperation coloured his tone and he dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. "This isn't you. I know you. You can't switch off when it comes to things like this, you're not..."

"Not what?" She stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing. "Not good enough? Not Ziva, not Holly? Tell me, Gibbs, why are you so sure I can't do this? Why so convinced I'll screw it up and let you down?"

Gibbs stared at her, breathing heavily, his expression unreadable. "I know you won't let me down, Abby. You could never do that. That's not what this is about."

"Then what is it about?" Her voice was a little softer, her confusion clear. "Why are you so against this? Against me?" She stared at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

He stared at her, willing her to understand when the words refused to come. He'd always thought of himself as a man of action rather than a man of words but, when it came to Abby, he found himself second-guessing those actions. He hoped she'd be able to read him, that she'd know what he was thinking – what he was feeling – without him having to say anything like she so often did but, Gibbs realised as he bit back a sigh, it wasn't going to happen.

Before he could get his racing thoughts under control, Abby looked away. He saw the flicker of disappointment in her eyes, the hurt she couldn't quite hide, and berated himself mentally, his frustration growing.

"I'm going to take a shower," Abby said quietly, walking past him to the small closet where her spare clothes were kept. "Make yourself comfortable. It's going to be a long night."

He watched her go, wishing he could do or say something to erase the look on her face. When she eventually left the sanctuary of the small en-suite bathroom half an hour later, they sat in an uncomfortable silence that felt foreign to them, both wondering how a once-close relationship had gone so downhill so fast.

* * *

><p>Neither were feeling at their best when they reported to work the following morning, a lack of sleep and an underlying worry that something fundamental had changed between them and not for the better. When Abby was called to the conference room, she wasn't surprised but wasn't pleased to find Gibbs already there, standing – pacing – by the window as the others took their seats.<p>

Director Vance sat at the head of the table, with Holly Snow on one side, an empty seat where Gibbs should be on the other. Tony, Ziva and McGee sat in the other chairs at the table, leaving Abby to take the only free seat remaining, between Gibbs' empty chair and Tony's own.

"Alright, people," Director Vance started, staring at Gibbs until his senior agent took his seat. "SecNav wants some answers and, quite frankly, so do I. What's your status on the case?"

"We've identified a possible weak link," Tony volunteered when no one else spoke. "Well, Abby identified her. Tina. She's the receptionist who works the late shift."

The Director looked at Abby expectantly, arching an eyebrow when she took her time in continuing.

"Um, Tina was one of the girls," Abby said after a pause, her sleepy mind struggling to keep up. She'd only managed two or three Caf-Pows – she couldn't be sure – and it was nowhere enough, she decided, to keep her going after the sleepless night she'd had. "She's also the ex-partner of one of the managers, Andre. I think I can get her to talk about what really goes on there but it's going to take time. She has a son with him so she'll have to be sure she can trust me, trust us, to keep them both safe if she does decide to turn on him."

Director Vance nodded and looked down at the report in front of him before turning his attention to Gibbs, a troubled expression on his face. "On the subject of safety, I believe there was an incident last night...?"

"Agent Green was late," McGee explained, glancing at his teammates. "He got caught in traffic due to the accident on the Beltway. Gibbs filled in but it highlighted that we need a contingency plan. If it happens again..."

"It won't," Gibbs interrupted shortly, his gaze locked on the Director. "I think we should look at taking Abby out of there. It's too dangerous."

"What?" Abby's outrage was clear to hear but Gibbs didn't turn to look at her. "Gibbs!"

"Last night was a close call," Gibbs continued, all but ignoring her. "Andre Mason has a criminal record, for assault among other things. He's made his intentions clear..."

"And it's nothing I can't handle, like I said last night!" Abby argued, her face flushing, her eyes bright when he eventually turned to look at her. "I can't believe you're bringing this up again. I told you wouldn't screw it up, Gibbs, and I meant it. I'll do what I have to find out who's behind this and I can't believe, after everything we've been through, that you don't believe me." She pushed her chair back and stood up. "If you'll excuse me, Director, I'd like to take some personal time and catch up on my sleep for tonight."

Director Vance gave her a small nod, and waited until she was out of the room before continuing. He looked back to Gibbs, concern in his eyes. "What happened last night between Ms. Sciuto and Mr. Mason?"

Gibbs relayed the events of the previous night, calm and detached. If Director Vance hadn't been watching him so intently, he would have missed the clenching of Gibbs' jaw and the icy glint that entered his eye as he explained just what Andre Mason's intentions were towards their forensic specialist.

"We'll make sure we have back-ups in place," the Director decided, glancing around the room at the other agents and the civilian acting as a consultant on the case. "DiNozzo, David, take another look at the rota. Make sure there's always a minimum of two agents available, no exceptions. McGee, keep looking into getting eyes and ears into her room. The more security we have, the better I'll feel about this." He paused only a moment. "Get to it, people. Gibbs? I'd like a word with you before you go."

Knowing that they had been effectively dismissed, the agents filed out of the room along with Holly Snow, who cast a speculative look over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.

"Abby should be taken out of there," Gibbs said coldly, anger rolling beneath the surface of his voice. "You've no right to put her in danger..."

"I've every right, Agent Gibbs," Director Vance reminded him sharply. "Ms. Sciuto is a member of my staff, and volunteered to take on this assignment. As I'm sure you're aware, I'm under a lot of pressure from SecNav on this one."

"Screw SecNav," Gibbs interrupted, his eyes flashing. "There are other ways we can find out who attacked him, ways that don't involve putting Abby at risk."

"She was aware of the risks before she went into it, as we all are," Vance reminded him. He stayed sitting as Gibbs stood and resumed his pacing once more. "I don't need to tell you how much money it costs to run an operation like this, or how much would be wasted if we pulled her out now and tried to start again."

Gibbs turned on him, his blue eyes cold. "If it's the damn money you're worried about, I'll pay the bill myself. She's not the right person for this, Leon. She's not like you and me. She can't handle it."

"From where I'm sitting, it looks like she's handling it better than you are." Keeping his expression noncommittal, Vance held the agent's gaze. "I won't pull her off this unless she asks me to, Gibbs. We've got too much invested in it. If that's going to be a problem for you, tell me now and I'll have DiNozzo take over as lead agent."

They stared at one another, each holding their ground. Gibbs turned on his heel, walking out of the door and slamming it behind him.

When the Director checked the whereabouts of his agent an hour later, he wasn't surprised at all to find he was no longer at the Navy Yard.

* * *

><p><em>So... I know that's not how you were expecting Gibbs' appointment with Abby to go. Be patient, my fellow Gabby shippers, just for a little while longer ;)<em>


	8. Chapter 8

_Gotta say thank you again for all your support with this story - it really does mean a lot and your reviews/comments/adds etc. make my day. :) Only two parts left after this one so hope you keep enjoying it till the end and are satisfied with the upcoming Gabby :) *hugs* - Jo  
><em>  
>Part Eight<p>

* * *

><p>Her plan to use the afternoon to catch up on the sleep she'd missed out on the night before wasn't working. Abby tried to get settled in her bed, surrounded by her favourite comforter but, after almost an hour of restlessly rolling from one side to the other, she gave up and settled for pacing her living room instead.<p>

She was as angry as she was hurt, confused at what felt like a betrayal and sickened at the thought their friendship might be over. He was the best friend she had, Abby thought as she continued to pace, wrapping her arms across her middle. She could count Tony, Ziva, McGee and Ducky as good, close friends, people she could go to and rely on and who she loved dearly but Gibbs… He was the one person she could always rely on, the one person she knew she could go to with anything and he wouldn't judge her, wouldn't hurt her, wouldn't…

Or so she'd thought. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and she bit down on her bottom lip, wiping angrily at her cheeks. Had her feelings for him changed their relationship, she wondered. Was it because she wanted more that he suddenly seemed unable to live up to the expectations she'd built of him?

She didn't know what she'd done to cause such a strong reaction from him, didn't know how else she could convince him that she'd do the job without letting her own feelings get in the way.

"It's not like I haven't been doing that for ten years," she muttered darkly, kicking the couch as she walked by it.

Ignoring her feelings, getting on with what was expected of her, doing what needed to be done… It felt like she'd spent most of her life doing that, though she knew she'd never be able to tell him, that she'd never be able to explain.

She glared at the door when she heard the familiar knock, imagining she could stare through the solid wood to the man on the other side. She stood perfectly still as he knocked again, refusing to give in to the impulse to cross the floor and open the door, telling herself he deserved to stand out in the hallway and go ignored.

It was only when she heard the familiar sound of a key being turned in the lock that she remembered she'd given him a spare key for her apartment, one he assured her he'd only use if he deemed it to be an emergency.

Her hands came to rest on her hips and her glare intensified as the door opened, admitting the Special Agent she'd been trying to ignore. "This is your idea of an emergency?" She asked, her tone sharp and biting as he closed the door behind him and moved further into her apartment.

Gibbs didn't flinch at her tone, nor did his expression change. His blue eyes locked with hers. "We need to talk, Abby."

"I gave you the chance to talk last night. You wouldn't. Not much of a conversation if it's one-sided." She waited a beat, lifting her hands from her hips so she could cross her arms over her chest. "If you're not prepared to tell me why you're so against this, I have to assume it's because you think I'm gonna screw it up and I've got to tell you, Gibbs, after everything we've been through, that really hurts."

"I never meant to hurt you, Abby." His voice was soft and serious and he took a step closer as he spoke.

Unable to recognise the look in his eyes and feeling strangely nervous, Abby took a step back. "Well, you have. A lot more than you'll ever know."

He continued to advance, his gaze intense as it lingered on her face. He didn't speak and she again got the feeling she was missing something. Instead of taking another step back, she forced her body to remain where it was, holding her head high as he moved to stand just a few inches away.

So close that she could feel the heat of him, Abby swallowed reflexively. Her tongue darted out to moisten her dry lips and she started to speak, to ask him once more what was going on. Her words died on her tongue as he leaned in and pressed his mouth against her own, kissing her gently, hesitantly at first.

She felt his tongue against her lips and instinctively parted them, her eyes closing as she melted against him, the hands she'd lifted to push against his chest sliding up, one curling over his shoulder, the other coming to rest against the back of his neck.

The kiss came to a gradual conclusion but neither made any effort to step back. Abby let her forehead rest against his shoulder, taking a moment to catch her breath before looking up at him questioningly. "I... That's not really an answer."

He paced away from her, raking a hand through his hair. "I want you to go to Vance," he told her gruffly. "I want you to ask him to take you off this case. It's the only way he'll agree to it."

Watching him, Abby crossed her arms over her chest. Her heart was still racing but she hadn't forgotten her earlier anger, which came back full force at his words. "If I do that, we'll have to start all over again, not to mention Lucy and Andre will no doubt be seriously pissed at me."

"You wouldn't have to worry about them. We'd be able to move you somewhere safe till we've got them behind bars, maybe go spend some time with your family in New Orleans." Gibbs turned to her, his expression solemn. "You wouldn't have to stay away for long."

"I won't be staying away at all," she countered, her voice quieter than his but no less serious. "I'm not leaving, Gibbs. Director Vance won't take me off the case because he knows it'd be a waste. I really think I can do this, Gibbs. I think I can get Tina to trust me and I think she knows enough to get us a warrant and to get Ms. Snow answers about her friend. I can do this..."

"I know you can. That's never been the problem, Abby." Something in his voice stopped her from moving away. He stopped pacing and stood in front of her, lifting a hand to her cheek. "I know you can do this."

"Then why have you been so against it?" She asked softly.

Gibbs walked away from her again but didn't go far. He stopped and turned back to face her, almost as if putting distance between them made it easier for him to speak. "You told me in your lab you thought I was against this because I'm taking being overprotective of you to extremes. That might be true, Abs, but the father thing... I've never seen you as a daughter, and believe me, I'm more than aware you're an attractive woman." He watched her lift her hand, move her fingertips over her lips as she remembered the kiss they'd shared not more than a few minutes ago. "I don't want you to get hurt," he told her honestly. "I can't..." Breaking off, obviously frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair again. "I can't stand the thought of anyone touching you, forcing you and if you're in there, I can't protect you, Abby. I don't know if I'd be able to get there in time if Andre or some other guy got to you again."

"I'd buy time," Abby said after a moment's hesitation, a little taken aback at the length of his answer. Gibbs wasn't one to talk about his feelings, his fears, and she had a suspicion she was finally starting to understand what he'd been trying to tell her in her lab and in her room last night. "I'd distract Andre or whoever it was long enough for you to get there. It'd take, what, at most ten minutes for you guys to get in and up to my room if something went wrong?"

"A lot can happen in ten minutes," Gibbs told her darkly. "Too much."

"I'd be okay," she assured him, taking a step closer. "I know what you and Ziva and Tony have taught me about self-defence. I'd be fine until you got there."

"Like you were fine last night?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. "I saw you after Andre left. That wasn't someone who was handling it."

Remembering the feel of Andre's body pressed against hers, his mouth on her skin and hands wandering over her body, Abby couldn't quite suppress a shudder. She lifted her gaze to Gibbs' own and shrugged a shoulder. "I'll do what I have to and know you'll be there as soon as you can."

"That's not good enough," he muttered, turning away from her as she moved closer. "It's not good enough, Abby."

He strode towards the door and let himself out, shutting it behind him without looking back.

Abby stood where she was, staring at the door, her anger almost completely gone but confusion residing in its place.

* * *

><p>There was no sign of Andre when she arrived at Scarlet Secret that evening, much to Abby's relief. To her concern, however, there was no sign of Tina, either. The blond receptionist was replaced by a young brunette girl, barely out of her teens, who gave her a warm smile but had such a look of envy in her eyes that Abby had to stifle a shiver.<p>

She smiled back and signed her name on the sign in sheets, biting her tongue against issuing a stark warning to the girl to leave before she got in too deep. If everything went to plan, she told herself, Scarlet Secrets would be closed down when Lieutenant Davenport's attacker was found and the mystery of the missing call girl was resolved.

Heading up to her room, she didn't see or hear anyone until she stepped off the elevator on her floor and was surprised by the sound of angry voices that floated down the hall towards her. Curious and concerned, she walked along the hallway slowly, hesitating at each of the doors, trying to find out which one was concealing the argument she could hear.

"You're not leaving, Rachel, you signed a contract!"

"My contract says I can give you two week's notice, consider it given!"

"You're not going anywhere..."

"Hey! Let go of me!"

The angry voices were coming from the room a few doors down from hers and Abby lingered, torn between wanting to help and wanting to keep her head down and not draw attention to herself. She bit down on her bottom lip and lifted her hand, telling herself it was only normal that she should knock and check her colleague was okay...

"I wouldn't do that." She didn't hear the door behind her open nor was she aware she had company until he spoke softly. Dropping her hand, feeling strangely guilty, Abby turned to look at the man standing in the doorway of the room opposite. A man she estimated to be in his late twenties, early thirties, gave her a sad smile and shook his head, his dark brown eyes troubled. "I wouldn't get involved if I were you."

The shouting continued, with Rachel – whoever she was – demanding her companion let her go. There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh and a dull thud that made Abby shudder.

"It sounds like she's in trouble," Abby murmured, looking back at the closed door. "If someone's getting too rough, we should call security..."

The man snorted and shook his head when she looked back at him. "Security's in there, along with the management. You're new here," he added, lifting an eyebrow. "It's your first time seeing what happens when one of us decides we want out."

"This happens a lot?" Abby asked, her stomach churning as her heart began to race. A muffled groan came from the closed door, accompanied by the low murmur of voices too quiet for her to make out what was said. "I didn't sign on for that."

"None of us did," her companion told her with a shrug. He held out his hand. "The name's Scott. I'd get back to your room, if I were you. You don't want them knowing you've seen what really goes on around here."

She took his hand automatically, her heart pounding in her chest. "I'm Abby. I... You don't know what happened to Tina, do you? I thought she'd be here tonight..."

A shadow crossed over Scott's handsome features as she withdrew her hand. "Just keep your head down, Abby. Being concerned about people in this place just gets you hurt."

He stepped back into his room and closed the door. Abby cast one more glance at the closed door behind her before hurrying up the hallway towards her own. She unlocked her door and slipped inside, closing it quietly behind her as she heard another door open further down the hallway. Turning the lock, she fumbled in her purse for her cell phone, hitting speed dial as she leaned heavily against the solid wood.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Gibbs, it's me." She dropped her voice to a whisper and moved away from the door, crossing the room to the sit on the bed before her legs gave out on her. "There's a girl called Rachel, I think she's hurt. Oh, God, she might be dead."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm in my room. They beat her up, Gibbs, they beat her up because she was threatening to leave." She shuddered and closed her eyes, wrapping her free arm around her middle. "Scott said it's what happens around here, he told me to keep my head down and pretend I didn't hear anything but..."

"I'm on my way in, Abby."

"You don't have to do that," she protested half-heartedly, tightening her hand on the phone. "I just thought you should know, so you can keep an eye out. If they try moving her, you'll want to follow and see where they go..."

"I'll be there in five minutes, Abby. Keep the door locked till you hear it's me."

He hung up before she could argue, leaving her watching the door intently, cell phone clutched in her hand as she counted down the seconds.


	9. Chapter 9

_Warning: This is the part that warrants the 'M' rating! ;) Hope you enjoy! _

Part Nine

* * *

><p>Tony sat in the car opposite the front entrance to the building, as low down in his seat as was comfortable without restricting his view. Beside him, Ziva kept watch intently, her attention fully focused on the task at hand.<p>

"So where do you think Gibbs went this afternoon?" Tony waited a moment, unsurprised when she didn't answer. "Yeah, I think he went to Abby's place, too. Kinda had to, really, after the argument they had in front of Vance."

"It was not an argument, Tony," Ziva answered shortly. "Gibbs is merely concerned for Abby, as we all are."

"Yeah, but there's something different about his concern," he pointed out, warming to the topic. "He's not just being protective, like the rest of us. There's something else..."

"What are you implying, Tony?" Ziva asked, glancing at him quickly before her attention returned to the building. "Abby has always been Gibbs favourite. She is not an agent and is not as experienced as we are. It is only natural that he..."

"...Would act like a jealous lover? Did you see the look he gave McGee when he volunteered to go in and check she was okay tonight? I mean, I thought there was nothing between them. I know Abby's had a crush on him for a while but I thought that'd passed and she'd got over it but now I'm not so sure it wasn't reciprocated..." Tony felt his enthusiasm for the conversation growing.

"Tony." Ziva's tone of voice made him sit up straighter. "The security team are leaving the building."

He looked beyond her, watching as two of the men Abby had identified as being part of the security team she'd been introduced to walked out of the building, carrying a trunk that reminded him of the one his mother had had at the bottom of her bed before she'd died between them.

They walked towards the black van parked on the street outside and set the trunk down on the floor, opening the doors to the back of the van before picking it up again and putting it inside. One of the security guys nodded at the other before walking back inside after a cursory glance to check no one was watching while the other opened the driver's door and slipped in behind the wheel.

"Call Gibbs," Tony instructed his partner unnecessarily, waiting until the van had started to pull away before turning the key in the ignition of their car. "Looks like we might get lucky."

* * *

><p>Closing the phone with a decisive snap, Gibbs looked at Abby where she sat on the edge of the bed. "Tony and Ziva are following one of the security guys," he told her quietly. "Two of them loaded a van with a trunk."<p>

Abby's gaze shifted and fell on the trunk at the bottom of her bed, an item of furniture that had been there when she'd arrived. Lucy had told her she could keep her own bedding in it, and any other tricks of the trade she didn't want out on display in case they scared her fainter hearted clients.

"I guess that could be one reason Scarlet Secret supplies them," she murmured shakily, lifting her gaze to his. "It's a convenient way to smuggle bodies out of the building."

Gibbs moved to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and drawing her close. He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "That won't happen to you, Abby. I promise." He held her for a little while longer, waiting until she'd relaxed against him before speaking again. "I want you to leave with me when my time's up." He bit back a sigh when she straightened and turned her head to look him in the eye. "Case is almost over, Abby. If we can catch the security guy with a body, link him back to Scarlet Secret... We'll have enough to bring them in, enough to get a search warrant their lawyers won't be able to talk their way out of."

"And if the guy refuses to talk or we're wrong about what's in that trunk, we'll be back to square one." She gave him a small smile but shook her head. "I said I'd stay until the end, Gibbs, and that's what I'm going to do."

He wasn't happy with it, his expression told her that, but the way he tugged her back against him told her he partly understood. He glanced at his watch and saw he still had just over an hour left with her. "I'll have McGee and Green on standby in case this doesn't wrap tonight. I don't want you being on your own for more than a minute between appointments."

Abby cuddled into his side but caught him glancing at his watch again. "If you want to leave and see it through, I'd understand. I'm sure I can entertain myself for an hour or so."

His arm tightened around her shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You can. I'll be okay, and I really would understand." She lifted a hand to his chest, bracing herself against him as she tilted her head back. "It must be killing you, sitting here doing nothing when you could be out there doing something."

"I'm fine here," he told her softly, looking down at her.

"You keep checking your watch," she pointed out with an arched eyebrow. "Any other woman would take offence."

"You're not any other woman." He tightened his arm around her shoulder. "And I'm not checking the time because I want to leave."

A look of hopeful surprise crossed over her face. "The only other reason for you checking the time constantly would be if you wanted to stay."

He lifted a hand to her cheek instead of answering, tilting her face ever so slightly before lowering his head to hers. His lips brushed hers once, twice, softly and sweetly. On the third pass, Abby opened her mouth beneath his, lifting her own arms to wind them around his neck. They exchanged several long, gentle kisses, shifting positions so that she pulled him down with her, on top of her, when she fell back against the bed.

"We shouldn't do this," Gibbs murmured, pressing his lips against the slender line of her throat. "Not here."

He didn't stop, though, and he didn't object when her hands started to push his jacket from his shoulders. He shrugged out of it, helping her, and allowed himself a moment of being thankful that he hadn't had time to get fitted with the mic McGee had waved in his direction. His own hands moved to the zip fastening at the back of her dress and he lowered it deftly, dropping his head to kiss her shoulder as the straps holding the dress in place slid down her arms.

He pulled away only to assist in her attempts at getting his shirt off and caught her gaze as she lifted her hips, helping him slid the dress all the way off. She lay in front of him clad only in her underwear and he took his time in sweeping his gaze over her, admiring the view. Lifting his gaze to hers, he lowered himself down again, kissing her gently, trying to convey everything he felt in that moment in one kiss.

"You sure about this?" He asked quietly, his lips mere millimetres from hers. He felt her hands at his belt buckle and kissed her again, snaking a hand between their bodies to still her fingers. "Abby..."

"I want this," she assured him breathlessly, batting his hand out of the way. Her green eyes were dark, her lips swollen from his kisses when he pulled back to look at her again. "I want you."

Her simple words and the look that accompanied them convinced him, and he returned his mouth to hers in a demanding kiss that made her heart race even faster. Her fingers got back to work on the buckle of his belt and the fastening of his pants, slipping inside to stroke him through the thin material of his boxers.

He slid his hands around her back, deftly unfastening the clasp of her bra. He kissed and tasted his way from her lips, down her throat, along her collarbone to her chest, focusing on first one breast and then the other as she moaned her approval and lifted a hand to rest in his hair, momentarily distracted from her own task.

After several breathless moments, she renewed her efforts to get rid of the barrier their clothing represented, pushing his pants and boxers down over his hips together. He kicked off his shoes and helped her as much as he could, lifting his hips to make it easier. When he was naked, he turned his attention to divesting her of the last of her underwear, hooking his thumbs in under the lace band of her panties and drawing them down her legs.

He slid his hands over her, caressing her sensitised skin as he followed their path with his lips, kissing, tasting, nipping, promising himself there'd be a chance for a more thorough exploration another time. Only when she shifted restlessly beneath him and tugged at his arms did he move up and over her body, settling himself between her thighs as he looked down at her. Abby held his gaze as her hand slipped between their bodies and took hold of his erection, stroking him for several moments before guiding him into her, arching her hips to meet him as a moan was torn from her throat, an answering groan escaping him as he sunk into her.

The case and their surroundings were forgotten as they were consumed by sensation and feeling. He moved slowly at first, determined to make it last, withdrawing fully before pushing back inside her. Only when she tightened her legs around him and dug her fingernails into the skin of his back, pleading in breathless whispers for more did he quicken the pace. He kissed her hungrily as he thrust into her, taking everything and giving more.

When she broke, he wasn't far behind her, the sensation of her climax triggering his own. He emptied herself into her, letting his head drop to her shoulder as her body trembled beneath him.

For several moments, neither of them moved. Abby wrapped her arms around him when he started to shift off her, keeping him close. She smiled at him softly when he lifted his head, accepted the lingering kiss he gave her eagerly.

He rolled off her and onto his back, and Abby curled up against him in an instant, resting her head on his shoulder as she gazed up at him, her hand resting on his chest over his heart.

He curled his arm around her shoulders, keeping her close as their bodies cooled and breathing returned to normal. He kissed her softly and reached out, tugging the sheets over them when he felt her shiver against him.

"I don't want you to go," she murmured, sleepiness creeping into her voice.

Not wanting to leave her either, Gibbs kissed the top of her head. He glanced at his watch, a sigh escaping him as he realised he'd have to leave the cocoon of warmth they'd created for themselves, that he'd have to leave her much sooner than either of them wanted.

He lay with her for another ten minutes, enjoying the sensation of having her so close. He knew he could never regret being with her, changing the boundaries of their relationship, but part of him wished they'd chosen a different location. He'd always imagined, on those rare occasions when he'd allowed himself to picture what it would be like, that their first time together to would be at her apartment or his house, that they'd fall asleep together and wake up the same way.

"Abby. Abs." She stirred sleepily, reluctantly opening her eyes and lifting her head from his shoulder. "I've got to get dressed."

He found her pout adorable, and leaned down to kiss it before moving out from underneath her. He dressed quickly, shaking his shirt to get rid of the worst of the creases before slipping on his suit jacket. He'd have liked to take a shower in the en-suite bathroom but he knew he'd be too tempted if she offered to join him, knew there was no way he'd be able to leave her on time and answer the questions his agents would no doubt ask if he was late in leaving.

Sitting on the edge of the bed beside, he ran his hand down her arm, his fingertips dancing lightly over her skin. Gibbs gazed down at her tenderly when she opened her eyes again, a dreamy smile curling the corners of her mouth.

"You should get dressed, too," he told her quietly, lifting his hand to push her hair back from her face. "I don't wanna send McGee in here when you're like this."

"You don't want to send him in here at all," she pointed out sleepily. She sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest and tilted her face up expectantly. She saw him grin before he gave in to her wordless demand and kissed her once more. "Go. I'll get dressed, change the sheets. Hope Tim doesn't mind entertaining himself if I fall asleep on him. I don't think I'm gonna be much company tonight."

"Hopefully you won't be with them for long." He kissed her again before reluctantly getting to his feet. "I'll call as soon as we know something new. When I do..."

"I'm to leave with whichever agent's with me at the time and head back to base," Abby finished with a smile. "I know, Gibbs. You want me out of here before it all kicks off. I want me out of here, too."

He watched her get up from the bed, wrapping the sheet around her, and pad over to him. He resisted the urge to take her in his arms again, knowing if he did there he'd want to stay even more than he already did. Instead he turned his back on her, heading for the door. "Don't forget to lock the door behind me."

"I won't." She followed him, stopping him from leaving with a hand to his arm. "Gibbs?"

The trace of uncertainty in her voice had him turning back towards her. He looked at her, noting the almost resigned expression on her face. "Abby?"

"This wasn't a mistake, was it? You're not... When the case is over, you're not going to change your mind and pretend this didn't happen?"

He reached out and traced her bottom lip with his finger before tilting her face up with a gentle hand under her chin. "This wasn't a mistake, Abby. It never could be with you."

Her answering smile was shy but bright. It was no good trying to ignore the impulse to kiss her again so he did so quickly, opening the door shortly after so he wouldn't be tempted further.

"Get dressed," he told her. "I'll send someone up as soon as I can."

Abby waited until the door was closed behind him before turning the lock, moving away from it with a contented sigh.


	10. Chapter 10

_The biggest ever thanks and hugs to all of you for your support 3. Here's the last part, hope you enjoy :)_

Part Ten

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><p>They caught the security guard trying to dump the trunk and its contents into the Anacostia River. As the man held at gunpoint by Ziva protested his innocence, Tony broke the lock on the truck and found the sightless green eyes of a redheaded woman watching him while he called it in to NCIS.<p>

The man, the trunk and the van used to drive it to the river were taken back to NCIS Headquarters at the Navy Yard. Ducky took the body to autopsy while a forensics team got to work on the van. Tony and Ziva ran the man sweating it out in the interrogation room through the system and were compiling all of the available information they had on him when Holly arrived.

"Her name is – was - Rachel Holden," the former DC Madam announced as she looked at the image of the dead woman on the board they'd set up in the corner of the room. "She was one of mine for a while, until she realised she could make more money elsewhere."

Ziva looked up, her gaze sympathetic. "I am sorry. I didn't realise you knew others who worked for Scarlet Secret."

"Neither did I," Holly sighed. She ran a hand through her hair, tearing her gaze away from the image on screen. "Is there anything I can do to help? Agent McGee has everything under control in the surveillance van, Agent Green has gone in to wait with Abby and I'm told Gibbs is on his way back here to start the interview."

"You could tell us what you know about the victim," Tony suggested after a look from his teammate. "Does she have any family, friends we should be contacting?"

Holly took the seat between Ziva's desk and Gibbs, her expression thoughtful. "She was an only child, if I remember right. Her Mom lived in LA with her stepfather last I heard, her father died when she was a child. She moved to DC to get away from an ex-boyfriend she'd met on the job. He seemed to think it wasn't over as long as he could still pay her fees."

"I will look for contact details for her mother," Ziva sighed. She glanced up at the screen, feeling a pang of sympathy for both their victim and her family. "She looks so young."

"Twenty-seven on her last birthday," Tony supplied, bringing up a criminal record for Rachel Holden on the plasma screen between their desks. "She was charged with possession five years ago."

Holly inclined her head. "I heard about that. She wasn't using when she worked for me. I had my girls go to a health clinic on a regular basis. It would have highlighted a drug habit if she'd had it then."

"Boss." Tony's greeting broke the temporary silence that fell over them. He and Ziva got to their feet while Holly remained seated, watching Gibbs speculatively as he walked around to his desk. "We're holding the security goon in interrogation. His name is Logan Myers. He has a sheet for assault, arson and robbery. Not exactly an ideal candidate for a job in security."

"Takes all sorts, DiNozzo," Gibbs commented. "The body in the trunk?"

"Rachel Holden, twenty-seven. Ms. Snow recognised her as a former employee. Her mother died a year ago, natural causes," Ziva reported quietly, reading from the information she'd brought up on the computer in front of her. "There is no one to inform of her death."

Gibbs nodded, putting his badge and his weapon in his desk draw and locking it. "DiNozzo, go down to interrogation, see if you can get Myers talking. I'll be down in a few minutes. Ziva, join McGee and the surveillance team. Get ready to move in on my mark and make sure Green knows to get Abby out of there and back here before we go in."

His agents went to work immediately, each going their separate ways. Holly stood up, drawing Gibbs' attention before he could follow Tony towards the elevators.

"What?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at the look on her face.

Holly gave him a small, almost sad smile and approached him slowly. She reached out, her fingers stopping a hairsbreadth from touching his chest. She leaned in close, her voice just above a whisper. "You missed a button, Agent Gibbs." She drew back, arching an eyebrow at the faint flicker of embarrassment in his eyes. "I'd let your agents assume you did it deliberately, to make the act look convincing, but I think I'll draw my own conclusions."

"Holly." He caught her hand before she could pull back completely, his gaze holding hers. There'd been a time, he recalled, when he'd thought there could be something between them. A time before he'd realised he still had a chance with his forensic specialist. Gibbs wasn't a stupid man; he'd seen the looks Holly had given him and knew what they meant and he was genuinely sorry for the flash of disappointment on her face when she'd put two and two together and figured out she wasn't who he really wanted.

"Don't say you're sorry," Holly told him, gently pulling her hand away. "You don't owe me that, Jethro. You don't owe me anything."

He gave her a small nod, unable to bring himself to regret missing out on an opportunity to explore the attraction between them with the memory of finally being with Abby and his hopes for a future with her so fresh in his mind. He turned and resumed his course for the elevator, determined to break the case and get Abby out of Scarlet Secret before she ended up like the woman in the morgue.

* * *

><p>It took two hours of asking him the same questions, of showing him stills of the surveillance tapes they'd taken of him leaving Scarlet Secret on several occasions before he started to talk and only then after he'd sought reassurances that they'd be lenient with the charges they brought against him in exchange for the information he had.<p>

He confirmed that Andre Mason had killed Rachel Holden, Emily Sholton and several others who'd attempted to get out of their contracts.

"It was a security thing," he explained, clasping his hands together on the table in front of him. "Mr. Mason and Ms. Reynard were afraid that, should anyone leave their employment, they might go to the cops or say something about the operation to the wrong person. It's a lucrative business. If it was to close down, they'd lose everything."

"They won't need money in prison," Tony pointed out, shrugging a shoulder. He opened the folder in front of him and slid a photograph of John Davenport across the table towards Myers. "Do you recognise this man?"

A glimmer of recognition lit Myers' eyes. "He was a regular," he said evenly. "Until a couple of weeks ago."

"A regular?" Tony glanced at Gibbs, sensing his boss shared his surprise. "He visited often?"

"Couple of times a week for three, maybe four months," Myers answered noncommittally. "What's he got to do with anything? He's not dead, is he?"

Gibbs took over the line of questioning, leaning forward a little in his seat. "Do you remember the last time you saw him?"

Myers shifted uncomfortably in his chair. A bead of sweat formed at his brown and ran down his face. After several tense moments, he sighed heavily. "Last I saw, he was in the alley at the back of the building. One of the guys had to remove him when he refused to leave after his time was up."

"They use force to remove him?" Gibbs asked in a deceptively casual tone. When Myers didn't answer immediately, he slid another photograph from the folder, an after shot taken while Lieutenant Davenport recovered in hospital. "One of your security guys do that?"

"Probably," Myers admitted with a shrug. "I wasn't there when it happened but I heard he was a difficult customer. Kept insisting he wouldn't leave unless Scott went with him."

"Scott?" Remembering Abby's description of the man who'd warned her to keep her head down, Gibbs sat up straighter.

"Scott Hopkins. He's the guy he kept coming to see." Myers looked up from the photograph. "There are rules against getting personally involved with clients outside of duty shifts. Scott knew it but Andre and Lucy found out he'd been seeing this guy outside of work for weeks. They told him it had to stop, or the guy would pay the consequences and told the girls on reception to contact security if he showed up again wanting to see Scott or any of the others. Apparently he got by them, booked under a false name and got one of his friends to smuggle him inside. At the end of the appointment, he refused to leave unless Scott could go, too. Seemed to genuinely care, if you ask me."

Without a word, Gibbs put both photographs back into the folder and stood up. Tony followed him out of the interrogation room, pulling the door shut behind them.

"SecNav's not gonna like this," Tony commented in a low voice as another agent moved into position to guard the door. "He's under the impression it was a one-time thing."

Gibbs suspected the fact his nephew had been visiting another man would be an issue, too, but kept that to himself. "Call Ziva," he instructed Tony. "Tell her we're on our way." He pulled out his own cell phone as Tony made the call, hitting a button before lifting it to his ear. She answered after only a few minutes, giving him the impression she'd been sitting with the phone in her hands. "It's over, Abby. Get out of there."

Her sigh of relief came through the phone, loud and clear. "We're already at the door. See you later, Gibbs."

"Later," Gibbs echoed, shutting the phone and ending the call without bidding her a proper goodbye. He looked at Tony as his agent hung up the phone. "Everyone in position?"

"Ready and waiting," Tony confirmed, squaring his shoulders. "I'll be glad when this one's over and Abby's back in her lab. I know she's capable of taking care of herself but having her in the field puts me on edge."

Silently, Gibbs agreed.

* * *

><p>Everyone who was at Scarlet Secret was brought in for questioning. Abby kept out of the way, content to stay down in her lab until she got the all clear from Gibbs or his team. She was glad that most of the men and women who worked in the rooms were given cautions or warnings in exchange for agreeing to testify against Andre and Lucy and relieved that the rest of Myers security team rolled over on each other and the management pretty quick, guaranteeing that everyone involved in committing the killings would be charged to some degree and would each spend a stretch of time behind bars.<p>

She looked up when she heard someone walk into the lab, the smile on her face faltering for only a second when she found Holly standing on the threshold. "Ms. Snow," she greeted her politely. Her smile faded a little when she remembered what she'd been told about Emily Sholton. "I'm sorry about your friend."

Holly inclined her head slightly, accepting the sympathies as she walked into the lab. "Thank you, Abby. I won't lie and say I wish there was a better outcome but at least now her parents will know what happened to her."

There was an awkward pause. Abby shifted from foot to foot, wringing her hands in front of her. "Ah... Gibbs is still in interrogation, I think. Andre's refusing to talk."

"It isn't Jethro I wanted to see." Holly moved further into the lab, a quick flash of a smile on her face. Her gaze moved around, assessing what was around her, and she nodded to herself, almost as though she approved of what she saw or had had her suspicions confirmed. "I wanted to thank you," she said after another moment, her gaze shifting to meet Abby's own. "You didn't have to take the assignment, and I would have understood if you hadn't, but I think it made it easier, you already having a connection to Scarlet Secret. So thank you for that, for putting yourself in a situation I know can't have been comfortable for you."

Abby shrugged, feeling awkward under the praise of a woman she admired in one sense and couldn't understand in another. "I didn't do much," she protested quietly.

"You were there when you needed to be, to give Jethro and his agents the lead they needed to break the case," Holly countered, arching an eyebrow. "If you hadn't, they might've missed the guys moving Rachel's body."

Again, Abby shrugged but she didn't argue. She gave Holly a small smile and an even smaller nod. "I still think your thanks are unnecessary but if it helps, I'll accept it."

Holly gave her a long, speculative look, one that eventually made Abby squirm uncomfortably where she stood. After several moments, the slightly older woman smiled again, something akin to understanding dawning in her eyes. "I can see what attracts him to you, Abby, why he loves you." Her smile grew a little wider when Abby blushed and opened her mouth to deny it. "I'd say you're a lucky woman, but I think he's just as lucky a man. Take care of yourself, and of him."

"I will." Abby watched her leave and let her shoulders relax when she heard the muted ding of the elevator.

* * *

><p>When Gibbs walked into the lab much later on, well into the middle of the following day, it was to find Abby curled up on the futon she kept in the office area of her lab. He knelt beside her, stroking her hair back from her face, smiling when she leaned her cheek into his palm even as she slept.<p>

"Abby." He called her name softly, loathe to wake her but eager, for once, to follow Vance's orders and make sure every member of his team had an early finish and caught up on their rest in preparation for the next cast that would inevitably land on their desks. He watched her eyelids flutter, a soft smile curling her lips as she opened her eyes and found him looking at her. "Hey."

"Hey." She lifted a hand to stifle a yawn and propped herself up on one elbow. "What time is it?"

"Just after two." He reached out and helped her into an upright position, immediately joining her on the futon when there was space to sit down. "Director said we can all go home."

"Yay." Her enthusiasm was muted by her exhaustion and she leaned against his side heavily, resting her head on his shoulder with a sigh that was part-yawn. "Did you find Tina?"

Gibbs nodded although she couldn't see him. "She was safe at home with her son. He wasn't well, so she skipped her shift. She's relieved Mason's behind bars. Told Ziva she looking forward to getting a normal nine-to-five so she could spend more time with her son."

"That's good." After a moment of silence, Abby lifted her head from his shoulder with another yawn. "We should move before I fall asleep again."

Needing no further encouragement, he stood up and offered his hand, pulling her up to her feet when she took it. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he let her lead him around the lab as she shut off her machines and equipment before ushering her out of the room towards the elevators.

"You gonna come to my place?" Abby asked quietly, winding her arm around his waist as the elevator doors closed behind them.

"Mine's closer," he murmured, brushing his lips against her forehead. "You did a good job, Abs. I might not have liked it but you did good."

Smiling shyly, she ducked her head at his praise, dropping her arm to put a respectable amount of distance between them as the elevator doors opened once more. It hadn't been her dream assignment by a long shot, and wasn't something she thought she'd volunteer for again, but the outcome had been far better than she'd expected and that, she couldn't regret it.

The case was closed, the bad guys were caught, and she had the pleasure of knowing the man at her side wanted her, too.

* * *

><p>End<p>

_Again, a huge thank you to everyone who's read this. *hugs*_


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